


White Wolf (Laurel Lance)

by IAmMattis



Series: Black Wolf Verse [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Legacies (TV 2018), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014), The Originals (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Bucky Barnes, BAMF Laurel Lance, F/F, F/M, Gen, Laurel Lance Lives, Male-Female Friendship, Metahuman Laurel Lance, Past Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen, The Waverider (DC's Legends of Tomorrow)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2019-12-29 18:38:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 68,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18299813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmMattis/pseuds/IAmMattis
Summary: A retired assassin is approached by Rip Hunter to be a part of a team called Legends to stop an immortal tyrant named Vandal Savage from taking over the world in the year 2166. Can the man who is known as the White Wolf earn redemption he so desperately yearns?





	1. Epigraph

**Epigraph**

**A retired assassin is approached by Rip Hunter to be a part of a team called Legends to stop an immortal tyrant named Vandal Savage from taking over the world in the year 2166. Can the man who is known as the White Wolf earn redemption he so desperately yearns?**


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

**May 29 2016**

**Star City**

After the video ended, a dark haired man put his phone back into his coat pocket and stared at the tombstone that had the name of the late Police Captain Quentin Lance ingrained on it. All of this happened while he was gone trying to save the world from it's grim future caused by a immortal mad man. He should've stayed here and helped Team Arrow in the fight against Darhk.

He glanced at Laurel staring at her father's grave with a solemn look and turned grasped her hand with his metal one, intertwining his fingers with hers comforting her as best as he could. "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, doll."

"Don't be, Buck. You had enough on your plate."


	3. Recruiting Season

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is recruited by Rip Hunter to join a team whose whole mission is to stop an immortal tyrant from taking over the world.

**Recruiting Season**

_**-** _

_**"** _ _**First recruit: Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes also known as the White Wolf."** _

_**-** _

**Star City**

**January 21, 2016.**

Star City, the city of stars or that's what the brochure say when you visit it. No, Star city is city riddled with crime, corruption and tragedies. It has it's fair share of terrorist attacks in recent years. The Undertaking, the Siege and so forth but it is mostly known for it's vigilantes that started to appear started four years ago **.**

Former US Army soldier James Buchanan Barnes or to his friends Bucky was walking home, stopping by the apartment his girlfriend currently resides in with their orders from Big Belly Burger in hand. It was their favorite restaurant to buy fast food whenever they felt like it. He walked up the stairs and entered the apartment building, his baseball cap covering most of his face because technically he's supposed to be dead legally.

After taking the elevator to the floor where her apartment was it, he walked past a few door down the hallway and stopped at the fifth door as he took out his keys and pressed the key he knew that would unlock the door twisting it to the left. Once the locks had been unlocked, he entered the apartment and the first thing he noticed was a man in trench coat standing in the middle of the living room. Immediately his free hand went for a knife in his jacket, worried that he might be a hired gun.

"Mr. Barnes. I apologize for intrusion but I must require a moment of your time."

Before he had a chance to ask why, the intruder with a British accent pulled out some strange device from his coat pocket and a bright flash of light blinded Bucky. Seconds after it happened, he collapsed to the floor out cold.

-

"Rise and Shine, Metal arm."

At the gruff voice, Bucky let out a groan as he was starting to regain consciousness. Man, he did not see it coming and that's very rare for him to say that. He slowly sat up, shaking off the headache of that thing that stunned him. As he rose to his feet, Buck started to look around where he was and it didn't take long for him realize to he wasn't alone.

Bucky recognized six people, the buzzcut hair with parka jacket was Leonard Snart aka, Captain Cold and his gruff short-tempered partner Mick Rory aka Heatwave. The blonde in a faux fur coat was Sara Lance aka the Canary, his girlfriend's little sister who had been dead for a year only to be resurrected by the Lazarus Pit by said girlfriend. A couple that were dressed up like hawks were Kendra Saunders, Cisco's former love interest and Carter Hall. He then saw a man wearing blue exoskeleton suit and he recognized as Ray Palmer aka Atom, former CEO of Palmer Tech. and for last two people he recognized from reading the files of Team flash as Firestorm.  
a Grey haired man wearing glasses was Professor Stein and a African American man in his twenties Jefferson Jackson. they were apart of something called Firestorm, a nuclear weapon caused by the Particle accelerator courtesy from Star Labs two and half years ago.

"Where are we?" The mentioned Sara queried, confused of her surroundings, before laying her eyes on a familiar face. A surprised look replaced the look of caution and weary. "Buck? What you're doing here?"

"I can ask you the same thing, Sara."

The former All star football quarterback had a pretty good guess of what happened to the two of them that apparently has some history between each other. "Why don't you ask the dude who knocked us out and kidnapped us? British dude with a flashy thing? Ring any bells?"

The British dude that Jefferson mentioned appeared behind them, Bucky and Sara recognized him as the one who kidnapped them while he began introducing himself to the men and women he'd selected for the mission,  _his_  personal mission. "The name's Rip Hunter. I'm from East London and the future."

Bucky sighed in exasperation, running his metal hand through his long hair. If anyone told him eight years from now that this would be his life, he would tell the person to go to hell and visit an insane asylum. But given the last few years he had and the things he saw, he wasn't as shocked as a normal human would be. "Nice to meet you Rip. Now can you tell us why we're here?"

"I've assembled you all because I need your help. The future of the world is in peril because of a man by the name of Vandal Savage."

The name had Buck raise both of his eyebrows in disbelief. No, That's not possible. He was destroyed by that staff not long ago in Central city. Heck he was even there when it happened including Sara who had the same look of disbelief. "No, can't be because last time  _we_  checked he was nothing but a pile of ashes." He denied, pointing between himself and the blonde ex assassin.

"We destroyed them." Hawkman acknowledged the statement firmly, clenching his fist tightly at the thought of his long time nemesis being resurrected.

Upon agreeing with both of the statements, there was a slight critical information they didn't have besides Rip himself. "That is true but therein lay the problem. Unless Ms. Saunders or Mr. Hall deliver the death blow, Savage can be restored from but a single cell." He informed them much to their dismay.

"Well that piece of information would've been nice to know." Bucky muttered, as if there wasn't enough problems already.

Starting to feel impatient about the situation, Mick of all people decided to ask the question they all had mind besides the birdies, blondie and Metal Arm. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Vandal is immortal. Kendra and I reincarnate." Carter explained, gesturing between him and his long time lover as if it was a normal thing.

"Yeah, I've done that." Sara pointed it out remembering the circumstances that brought her back from the dead.

"And what the hell does this Randall guy got to do with us?" Mick asked,

"Vandal." Rip corrected the flame throwing criminal right away as he began tell the reason why he recruited them, all of them unaware of the true reason why. But he felt it wasn't necessary for them to know. "In the future, he will employ the evil he's perfected over his long life, and the power he has amassed throughout history, to finally conquer the world. I've been tasked with assembling an elite team to stop him."

"How?" Sara asked,

"To travel through time. To capture Savage before he grows into the monster he becomes."

Leonard was the first to leave simply because that he was not a hero. No where near that close. He was a criminal, plain and simple. And a good one at that. "You got the wrong guy. "Hero" ain't on my resume."

Mick was the first and only to follow his partner. "Or mine." He growled.

The former time master sighed in slight annoyance. he'd anticipated some refusals and denials but still. "I know it's difficult for you to fathom, but where..." Realizing his near slip up, he corrected himself as Snart and Mick stopped at that. Only Buck noticed the near slip up which means neither he wasn't telling the truth or hiding something. Could be both. But he kept it to himself. " _when_  I'm from, the year 2166, you and everyone on this roof aren't just considered heroes. You're legends."

A deafening silence fell on the men and women as they let the new information sink in into their minds. Ray was the one to break the silence. "Legends?" He asked genuinely interested in this offer and revelation of him being a legend.

Martin stammered trying to comprehend of Rip Hunter had just explained to them. "I, um, I hate to nitpick, but doesn't a legend have to be dead?"

Jefferson on the other hand wanted no part in this whatsoever. He just wanted to go home and sleep."Yeah, see, that's a deal breaker for me, so I'm gonna pass. " He declined.

"It's dangerous for any of you to know too much about your own futures, but I am here because each of you, as individuals, is destined for greatness." Rip stated.

Ray was never the one to shy away from a opportunity to make a difference and besides he wanted to be a hero following the death of his fiancée so if he could stop Savage from destroying the future, so be it.. "I could get behind that." he said, starting to get gleeful at the prospect of being a legend.

" _And_ , because if you don't follow me, this is what is in store for your world 150 years from now." Rip hunter took out a device and showed a hologram of the dystopian future that he spook greatly about. It was something out of a horror movie, the buildings were burning, the sky was as red as the blood pouring out it's open wound.

Seeing that he made his point across, he turned off the hologram and addressed the team he had put together. "I could have chosen any time and any place. Of all the people who ever lived, I chose you nine. I certainly hope that you won't let me, and the world, down."

Rip pulled out a calling card with an address written on it. He gave it to Buck who reluctantly took it from Rip's hand. "If your answer is yes, meet me at this address in 36 hours." He left the rooftop leaving the nine people to ponder about their decisions to join Rip or not to save the world from it's horrific fate.

-

 **Arrowcave,** **Star City 2016**

Bucky went straight to the Arrowcave in as Felicity fondly named it after checking his cellphone to see if there were any missed calls. and there were, plenty of it.

So when he entered the cave after calling Laurel that he'll explain everything, he was bombarded with questions of where he was, where he went etc. The usual. After he calmed things down he started to explain what happened to him and the opportunity to save the future from Vandal Savage.  
Once he was finished with he studied the reactions of the members of Team Arrow.   
Diggle was wide eyed and speechless of the fact that time travel was real which was not a surprise to Bucky, the former military man and bodyguard could never handle things that were beyond his imagination well. 

Felicity was fangirling in excitement at the prospect of time travel and started to rambling about her favorite time travel movies like back to the future trilogy and the butterfly effect which were pretty accurate movies of it's time. Her words, not his. Thea's reaction was like "Time Travel? Cool."

Laurel on the other hand had a blank stare trying to process what she's just heard but Buck knew her enough that there was something else on her mind. Her sister Sara who she hadn't seen since assassination attempt on Oliver and Felicity leaving the MIT graduate paralyzed from the waist down last christmas. And she hoped that at least she was there with him but a look in his eyes told her he did meet her little sister.

"Guys, can you give us a moment? There's something else that Laurel and I need to discuss,  _privately_." 

Seeing the serious look on his face, Thea nodded in acceptance as she practically dragged Diggle who hadn't moved from his spot with Felicity following them in her wheelchair to the elevator.

"How's she?" Laurel asked as the three members of Team Arrow exited the cave, the former Army soldier took a moment to think about the conversation he had after Rip left. It was a amicable talk to say least.

"All things considered, she's ok." Bucky replied, "Mostly." He added after Laurel gave him a look.

"What about you?" The Assistant DA questioned her dark haired lover as he went into deep thought about the offer and his little reunion with the other blonde Lance.

"I don't know. All I ever wanted was to help people. But after that IED that took out half of my squad and I lost my arm and then everything went straight to hell." Bucky reminisced of the highway to hell he experienced before he became someone's lapdog. it wasn't a pleasant time at all. All the things he had done. There's no saving him. "I don't know if I can do this. Being a hero."

"I think you I can." Laurel said bluntly and held up a hand to stop whatever excuse was about to come out of his mouth. She's heard every excuse of doubt, pity, guilt in the book. Hell, she made a few herself in her moments of crisis. "I know you, Buck. I know that despite everything you went through, you could've given into the darkness at any given time but you didn't. You went through hell and back to retain some semblance of your old self. And besides if you were given the chance to save the future, would you take it?"

-

**Next Day**

**Michelle's Bar**

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." one of the workers at Michelle's bar in the Glades cat whistled following by her co workers as Bucky entered his mother's bar. He chuckled shaking his head with a small smile. Even in death, he's still the most handsome man to walk on the streets of Star City. Besides Oliver Queen.

"Alright, cut the chatter. Get back to work." The owner of the bar walked out of her office the moment she heard the commotion, so she gave out a command which 90 percent of the time her employees obey to them. She was a middle aged woman with dark hair similar to Buck's but with a few blonde highlights. she was wearing a leather jacket with a pair of jeans and biker boots. she saw Buck and walked up to greet him with a kiss to the cheek. "Hey, Baby."

"Hi mom. How you're doing?" He asked, returning the favor in kind of course. Whenever he was going to make a decision that could have a impact on his life, he could always go to her for advice, especially now after his talk with Laurel yesterday.

"As good as a dirty cop reeks of stench in this town."

He had to smile, that was one of many qualities her mother possesses. Her honesty. "That's nice." The smile that would woo a girl faded as he went and ask about his aunt who's been diagnosed with early stages of arthritis in her hands seven months ago with the order from her doctor to slow down her work pace. "How's Aunt Serena?"

His mother whose name is Michelle let a sigh of exhaustion. "Not Good. Her arthritis is getting worse."

He internally groaned, of course she would ignore the doctor's orders due to her stubbornness. She even told him that she'll continue to work until Hell freezes over. "I told her to cut few hours off work."

"I know." She agreed with her son before changing the subject. "But enough about that. What's going on baby?"

"It's about my..." He looked around to see if there were anyone eavesdropping into the conversation and fortunately there were none. "line of work."

"Oh. Does it involve a crisis?"

"Something like that."

Michelle pursued her lips in thought, He looks so much like his father back in the day. Always wanting reassurance of the decisions he's about to make. "Well, I can't tell you what to do but what I  _can_  tell you is that do what you feel what's right." She advised her only child and Buck took those words into consideration.

-

Having made a decision after his talk to his mother, he went back to the Arrowcave two hours later and saw a note left on one of the computers at the platform. Curiosity peaked, he walked straight to the platform where the computers were at, picking it off the screen and read its message.

**Your new suit is ready to go.**

**XOXO, Cisco.**

**PS. Time Travel?!! Dude, awesome!! And say hi to Kendra for me please.**

Chuckling to himself at the message from the Star Labs inventor, he went to the cases where the suits were usually stored. he pressed button on the door and was instantly amazed at his new suit since he burned the old one that reminded him of his days as a ruthless assassin after the Siege. He'd admit, Cisco is one of a kind.

-

**AN: And so it begins.  Don't forget comment kudos, bookmark and follow this story.**


	4. I love the 70s

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team travels to New Orleans where they get a few surprises.

**Chapter 2: I love the 70's.**

**-**

**Star City, May 29 2016**

 

It was glum afternoon in Star City. Bucky and Laurel were sitting against a tree on a rise that overlooked the cemetery. She's leaning into Bucky with his arms wrapped around her, keeping her warm and close. It was nice.

"How was the funeral?" he asked his doll gently, the D.A. sighed thinking about how difficult it was for her in the week that followed after his death.

"Brutal." She answered, no point of sugar coating of what transpired. "John took it hard, considering the fact that he trusted Andy over Oliver and my father is dead because of it."

"You?"

Laurel sighed leaning into him more as she intertwined her fingers with his once more. It made her feel a bit at ease. "I don't know. I still feel that I should've done more. I should've known that Darhk would have punish my father for betraying him. But I can't help but think that maybe it was the price I had to pay of bringing Sara back to life."

"Laurel, you couldn't have known."

"I could've." She admitted.

-

**Five months ago, January 2016**

36 hours had been up and surprisingly all nine had showed up at the location that Rip Hunter have given the address to Bucky.

During the drive to the location he had a lot to think about. Why him?

"I think we're being punked. Do people still say punk'd?" Ray asked looking around for the Time Master but he appeared to be no show.

"No." Sara and Bucky said at the same time while glancing at each other. Something was fishy about this whole thing but they decided to give Rip the benefit of the doubt.

"I see your buddy threw himself a going-away party." Carter noted as he saw a passed out Jefferson in Martin's car.

"Yes, I believe he drank something that didn't quite agree with him." Stein responded, not going into details but it was enough for them to realize that professor Stein drugged Jax.

Snart glanced at Kendra who didn't look pleased to be here with the rest of the assembled Team Legends. "You don't look too happy to be here."

Kendra crossed her arms, but didn't deny the keen observation. "Perceptive."

"Well, I see you've all decided to come."And right then and there, came Rip Hunter out of nowhere. He had a pleased look as if he was delighted that everyone had accepted his offer. "Well then, we can be on our way."

"I don't see anything Rip." Bucky said, looking puzzled seeing nothing. How the hell did he come here?

"A Time Master's sacred charge is to do no harm to the timeline." Rip informed the confused looks on some of their faces. "Can you imagine what a timeship would look like in, say, Victorian England?"

"Holographic indigenous camouflage projection." Stein answered in amazement.

"Indeed." Rip took out a remote device and pressed a button, revealing a huge ship that looked the Millenium Falcon from Star Wars much to everyone's jaw dropping shock.

Bucky let out a whistle in awe. "That's a cool ship."

"It's called the Waverider. It's been my ship for over a decade. Shall we?"

-

It turned out that the ship was a lot bigger on the inside than what it appeared in. Team Legend with Mick carrying a still unconscious Jax walked down the hallways looking around completely mesmerized by the advanced technology especially Ray and Stein. Bucky had a huge interest in science as well just not as these two and the fact he was an overachiever back in High School but that was a long time ago. Rip told Mick where to put Jax.

"I have never seen anything like this before." Kendra uttered her astonishment as they entered the main room.

"Neither have I, and considering I have 4,000 years worth of memories, that's saying something." Carter replied.

"Showoff." Bucky grumbled, rolling his eyes. Just because Carter and Kendra were bestowed with reincarnation doesn't mean they have to brag about it.

"How does a vessel of this size function without a crew?" Stein wondered out loud.

"I don't need one. I have Gideon."  
A holographic female head appeared above computer/table startling everyone except Rip Hunter.

"Welcome aboard. I am Gideon, an interactive artificial consciousness programmed to operate this vessel's critical systems and aid Captain Hunter in his mission."

"Captain?" Snart asked,

"Gideon's been working on helping me locate Vandal Savage." Rip said ignoring the question.

"I thought you said he's pretty active in the 22nd century." Ray replied confused of why they won't travel there.

"Perhaps engaging Savage at the height of his powers isn't the best strategy." Stein guessed,

"Indeed. Unfortunately, Savage has kept his movements hidden throughout history. Not even Gideon can determine where or when we can find him."

Rip Hunter walked over to the computer table and pulled up some files of a man that was about Stein's age.

"But I have the next best thing: the man who can. Professor Aldus Boardman."

Time Master went on to explain who that man was. "Professor Boardman is the world's leading, well, only expert on Vandal Savage. We're gonna pay him a little visit."

"Course plotted for St. Roch, New Orleans."

"St. Roch?" Carter repeated. There was something familiar about that name.

"October 17, 1975"

"I suggest you all strap yourselves in." Rip told the team while running to take the pilot seat.

"Temporal navigation isn't something one wants to be standing up for." Everyone sans took their respective seats strapping themselves in.

"Right."

"Time Travel, Cool." Mick grumbled happily.

"Some of you may experience some slight discomfort. In very rare instances, there will be some, uh, bleeding from the eyeballs." Rip informed them as he pressed the coordinates in.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kendra asked, a bit frightened.

"The human body is used to time unfolding linearly." He explained further which didn't settle well with Kendra as the ship started to shake while initiating take off.

The shaking was enough to wake Jax up.

"Oh. Jackson, I'm so glad you're awake. I didn't want you to miss this." Stein said feeling somewhat excited about time travel.

"Miss what? What the..." Jax said confused of what was going on for a few moments before realizing where he was.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't unfasten those if I were you." Rip advised seeing that Jax was about to unfasten himself. He's seen that happened once. It wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Get me off this... whatever this thing is!"

"Good luck explaining this." Sara told one half of the Firestorm,

"I did him a favor." Stein tried to justify himself but was losing the argument anyway.

"I don't think he see it that away." Bucky stated the obvious, observing the pissed off look on the kid's face.

"Just hang on and remain calm. All your worlds are about to change."

And they took off heading back in time to 1975.

-

As soon as they reached their destination, Rip pulled the breaks on the ship. Mick started to vomit on the floor. Bucky got out of his seat stretching himself off the soreness.

"Oh, I should have mentioned it before. Nausea is one of the side effects of time travel, along with..." As if to demonstrate his point, Ray collapsed on the floor with a dazed look. He felt like his head was spinning. "Vertigo."

"I can't see." Stein exclaimed, blinking several times while staring into space.

"And temporary blindness." Rip got out of his chair and went to Stein waving his hand in front of his face.

"Oh, it should only last a minute." He reassured the elderly professor, "After all, that was a mere jaunt. The further back in time you go, the worse the side effects. Better?"

"It's all relative." Stein muttered, regaining his eyesight.

"Good."

"Why aren't you affected like the rest of us, Metal Arm?" Mick grunted, wiping his mouth off.

Sharing a knowing look with Sara, Bucky shrugged as he pulled Ray up. "I'm not like most people." He explained vaguely. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Ray shook his head off the dizzyness. "Bucky right? Ray Palmer." He extended his hand for a handshake with a smile which Bucky hesitantly accepted.

"I can't believe you kidnapped me." Jax said getting out of his seat and turned to the Captain, whining.

"Hey, I want to go home."

"Good news, then. 2016 will be around in, uh, 41 years." Rip told him sarcastically, much to Jax's despair, effectively shutting him up. then he turned to the criminals and the two former assassins with a serious tone.

"Now, you four, feel free to make yourselves comfortable back here on the ship" He motioned to Carter, Kendra, Professor Stein and Ray who mostly recovered from the vertigo. "While the rest of you are coming with me to find Professor Boardman."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."

"You're putting us on the bench?" Bucky questioned, puzzled.

"I thought we were a team." Sara exclaimed, glaring harshly at Rip.

"This mission doesn't require your particular skill set." Rip reassuringly stated, "Yet."

"Meaning you want need anyone killed, maimed, or robbed." Snart drawled.

"Precisely."

Ray lowered his voice telling Hunter of his concern. "Sure it's a good idea to leave these two unsupervised on a time machine?"

"Hey, haircut!" Mick said having heard that. "Deafness wasn't one of the side effects."

"I'll keep a eye on them, if that's what you're all worried about." Bucky told the former CEO of Palmer Tech who felt slightly reassured.

A little bit impatient, Rip rushed towards the door eager to leave. "We better hurry up." He told the ones that he'd selected. "Professor Boardman will die in less than 24 hours."

"What's the point in cutting it so close?" Ray wondered,

"Because if he's destined to die, then he doesn't have a timeline for us to disrupt, and his impact on the future will be minimal. How brilliant." Stein surmised.

"And depressing." Kendra added, Bucky hummed in agreement. "How does he die?"

"Uh, he's found dead in his university from unknown causes." Rip lied, unbeknownst to the team. "Come on."

"Are you coming?" Stein asked Jax,

Still angry that Grey roofied him, Jax decided to stay back at the ship. "I'll stay put."

"You'd rather stay with them?"

"We didn't drug him, Stein." Bucky reminded the professor who grimaced.

"Point taken." Stein acknowledged as he left to join the others heading to visit Professor Boardman at St. Roch.  
-

"Why does this stupid station play nothing but reruns?" Mick complained for the umpteenth time watching Mr Cutter on TV, over and over and over again.

Bucky was whistling quietly to himself lying on the floor when he heard Mick's complaint, while Sara was roaming around the Waverider. Snart sat opposite the army soldier. To say that they were bored to death would be a huge understatement. "I'm not gonna even bother explain that to him." Bucky said not bothering to correcting Snart's dimwitted partner.

"True that, man." Jax muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Am I the only one on this ship who could really use a drink? I say we go get weird in the '70s." Sara suggested.

"Excellent idea." Snart said quickly.

"I got the perfect outfit." Sara smirked, Bucky noticed somewhat a vibe between the two judging from the interaction but he kept that thought to himself.

Feeling already bored, Bucky was more than happy to leave the ship. "Count me in, Sara. I could use one anyway." He agreed, getting up to his feet.

"Perhaps Captain Hunter was unclear with his instructions to remain onboard."

"Shut it, metal mouth/Gideon." Mick and Bucky snapped at the AI in unison. Then they both gave each other funny looks.

Jax was about to follow theme when Snart was in front of him, stopping his advances. "Oh, you're not quite ready to run with this crew. Sorry, kid."

"Wait, you're just gonna leave me here?"

"I said I'd take care of you." Snart reassured as he headed to the door to catch Mick and Sara who'd already left.

"Maybe next time, kid." Bucky patted a pouting Jax on the shoulder as he left to join the others.

-

**New Orleans, 1975**

They found a bar nearby the Big Easy and Mick was ordering four beers for his teammates.

"Ah. Dollar beers. You got to love the '70s." Mick declared handing them their respective beverage.

"Who wants to listen to some Captain and Tennille?" At the odd looks Mick was given, he explained. "My mother played it. A lot." Mick cleared his throat and went straight to the juke box picking out the song.

A hippie girl passed them by and looked them over. "Wow, you guys are really far out."

"Cisco?" Bucky asked, taking a real good look at the outfit Sara was wearing. It looked like the one she wore during the days as the Canary but instead of being all black, it was all white and without a mask.

"Yep. You?" Sara observed Bucky's outfit. He had a one sleeved dark navy jacket with grey pants, a glove on his right hand excluding the one that was his metal arm and some holsters that contained guns and knifes on both of his thighs. He wore a pair of light green boots.

"Cisco." Bucky repeated her answer, they both clinked their beers to that. A biker girl from the bar sauntered seductively towards the army soldier, having a good look at Bucky.

"Hey, babe. Wanna dance?" She offered, Sara snorted into her beer. "Good luck with that" she thought to herself.

"Not Interested." Bucky politely declined.

Undeterred by the polite rejection, she went further in her advances. "Oh. Perhaps I can change your mind?" she practically purred in front of him.

"Nope."

"Hey Bitch." A burly bald headed biker who was slight taller than Bucky stomped to the woman who hit on him minutes ago. "What the hell are you doing?"

"You ain't the boss of me, Rick. We broke up, remember?"

Mumbling a few curse words under his breath, Rick grabbed his ex's arm roughly and dragged her. "Get off me, you jerk!" She said hitting him several times with her free arm.

Having seen enough, Bucky decided to step in and grabbed him by the shirt.

"Get. Your hands. Off her." Bucky demanded, aggressively.

"Mind your own business, pal." Rick hissed, "This is between me and her."

"I won't ask again." Bucky snarled. Rick swung a punch, which Bucky blocked with his forearm and in a one quick rotating motion, he gripped the wrist and twisted it violently, breaking it by applying pressure. Rick cried in agony, cradling his now broken wrist backing away.

The woman gladly backed away from the action.

"Should we lend a hand, assassin?" Snart asked, seeing that was about to escalate into a bar fight.

Sara shook her head, she knew that he could his own, so she stood back and watched.

"Nah, he's got this!" she reassured them.

Seething in rage, Rick used his unbroken hand to grab a broken beer bottle. He used it to slash Bucky who dodged the attacks with relative ease before hitting him in the chest with his metal arm taking the breath of out him.

Rick groaned clutching his chest as he felt the punch bringing him into his knees. It felt he was hit by a truck. Bucky then stomped his boot across his face, taking him down to the ground.

"Stay down." Bucky warned him, making it clear that it was his last chance to back off. "And don't you ever think of putting your hands on her again." He started heading for the exit but Rick didn't listen to him as he weakly grabbed Bucky's leg with his good arm. Bucky shook his head while exhaling a sigh through his nostrils. Now he was pissed.

 _"That's it. Let the Wolf out."_ The sound of Laurel's voice echoed in his head almost as if she was whispering into his ear, egging him on.

Encouraged, Bucky turned around and grabbing Rick by his shirt, lifting the burly man up as he smashed his metal fist into his face three times before kicking him across the bar crashing into jukebox back first putting a stop to the song causing everyone in the bar except, Sara, Snart and Mick to gasp.

"You're in trouble now, buddy! Get him!" Apparently Rick had friends that weren't too happy of seeing him getting his butt whipped.

Bucky sighed, rolling his eyes seeing the burly guy's buddies heading his way. "You're welcome to join me if you'd like, guys."

"My pleasure." Sara joined his side and took on one of the guys while Snart and Mick started throw punches on the rest.

"I love the 70's!!" Mick declared disturbingly gleefully as the brawl had begun.

-

After the bar brawl had taken place, the foursome Legends were kicked out of the bar and were heading back to the Waverider half hour later.

"What was that back, Buck?" Sara asked, concerned for her old friend and the display of brutality he'd shown at the bar towards the redneck biker.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Bucky said, seeing where this was going. "Besides you're the last person that I should open up to considering you're not a master of showing restraint yourself."

"Touché."

Boom! An explosion was heard getting the foursome's attention

"Who the hell is that?!" Bucky exclaimed in disbelief from the backseat of the red car Mick hijacked earlier as he laid his eyes on the scene before him. It was a guy dressed in a metal Boba Fett suit firing laser beams against Rip and unknown brown colored man in his early 60s. Kendra and Carter were providing the necessary distraction.

"Only one way to find out, Metal Arm!" Mick said swirling the car to the side hitting the Boba Fett guy. The four passengers stepped out of the car and stared at Rip and who they assumed to be Professor Boardman hiding from their attacker.

"We go for one lousy drink and somehow you manage to pick a fight with Boba Fett." Snart yelled raising his Cold Gun, Mick repeated what Snart did holding the heat gun up and Bucky had his duel guns ready and armed. Sara had her arms crossed.

Bucky was first to lay suppressing fire on the Boba Fett gun as he ran towards Hunter and Boardman. Snart and Mick followed suit.

"Get to the ship Rip! We'll cover you!"

Rip looked at him as if he was crazy. "Are you out of your bloody..."

"Just Go!" Bucky cut him off, pushing the time master and Professor Boardman to the direction of where the ship was at. But just they were heading back to the Waverider, Boardman was caught in the blast by a laser beam from Boba.

Seeing that Firestorm, Snart, Mick and Atom were keeping Boba Fett imposter busy, Bucky rushed to Boardman's aid who was bleeding from the stomach.

"Hang on, you're gonna be fine." Bucky assured, although the situation looked grim at the moment. "I'm gonna carry you to ship, so don't move."

"That. Won't be. A problem." Professor Board said, struggling to breathe. Boardman was fading fast. Bucky lifted him up and carried him back to the Waverider.

"Prepare the Medbay to receive Professor Boardman and get us the hell outta here!" Rip ordered as the rest boarded the ship including Carter and Kendra.

"Course heading?"

"Anywhere but here!"

-

**Medbay, Waverider.**

"How bad are his injuries, Gideon?" Bucky asked the Waverider's AI, not taking his eyes off an injuried professor Boardman. He'd opted himself to stay in the medical bay after they went into the Temporal zone which is like a limbo for time travel, which is awesome.

 _"Severe, Mr. Barnes. Professor Boardman sustained multiple internal injuries following Chronos attack. The probability of his survival is at 18%."_ Gideon Informed which Bucky grimaced.

"Well, that's reassuring." Bucky muttered, scratching the back of head in worry that now has increased. "You deserved better."

"I appreciate your concern." Professor Boardman said, strained.

Seeing that he was being taken cared of for the time being, Bucky exited the med bay and headed back to the bridge to see Rip looking like he's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"What did I miss?" Bucky asked confused of the tension that was in the room.

"Turns out that the Captain didn't tell us the whole truth." Leonard began telling him of what had transpired in his usual sarcastic tone. "Chronos was sent by the Time Masters because he's been a bad boy."

"And Professor Boardman is our biological son from one of our past lives." Carter said gruffly, motioning between him and Kendra who looked like she was about to hawk out in anger.

Bucky took a moment to process the new information he was given. Then he walked over to Hunter and Wham! slugged him one. With his metal arm no less. Snart and Mick chuckled, amused.

"Bloody Hell!" Rip exclaimed, stumbling back. That really hurt. "Would you people stop hitting me?!"

"Nope." Sara said, popping the P.

"I knew it was something off about you. I just didn't know what." Bucky crossed his arms, frowning darkly.

"Explain yourself. Now."

-

**Cargo Bay, Waverider**

Turns out that he left out several details. Rip was a time master until he lost his wife and son in 2166 thanks to Savage's part. Apparently being married to another time master was considered to be a big No-No by the Council so when he pleaded to the council, they said no-no, we don't care, What's done is done. So he disobeyed the direct order of not interfering in the timeline with the vow to make sure the last thing Savage ever saw was his face. With that said, he also admitted that being a legend was also untrue. Surprise, surprise. He gave them two options. A: head back to 2016 or B: stay here. Stein said that they needed time to think which Rip had no problem with it seeing that he'd already broken their trust.

"Watch it!" Mick snarled as Ray accidentally fire a beam nearly hitting the criminal while repairing his exosuit.

"Sorry. Sorry." Ray winced then sighed, "What's the point of us even giving this a second though Rip has already seen the future. He knows exactly what's in store for each of us. Might as well have stayed dead, 'cause the world doesn't need any of us." Ray gestured to Bucky and Sara who sat next to each other. "You're just a pair of lost assassins." He then turned to Snart and mick. "You're just a pair of good-for-nothing criminals."

"I can live with that." Mick murmured apathetically.

"Well, I can't." Ray snapped, getting everyone's attention. "Can't live with somebody putting a cap on my destiny. Spent my whole life working to be something greater by becoming something smaller. Then some guy comes along and tells me that being the Atom is as insignificant as an actual Atom."

"That's not what he said." Sara spoke up, thoughtful. "Rip said that in his future we're nobodies, but this mission is about changing the future.I mean, if we have the power to change the world, don't you think we have the power to change our own fate?"

"For better or for worse." Leonard nodded.

"That's a very good point." Ray nodded also, feeling a bit better.

Bucky thought about what Sara said and decided to himself that he was here to stay. If for not Rip then to protect future generations. "We only live once, so I'm in."

-

Bucky left the cargo bay and headed straight to check on Professor Boardman when he saw Carter comforting Kendra with Boardman sleeping but judging from the lack of breathing, it didn't take long for him to make the connection that Aldus had passed away.

"I'm sorry." Bucky offered his condolences. Kendra sniffled nodding in acceptance.

"Thank you. We're grateful that you brought him to the ship. Rip wouldn't have allowed..."

"It's not a problem." Bucky shrugged, "Really. I'll leave you two to have a moment." He went back to the Bridge seeing Professor and Jax there. It seemed that they had already agreed to stop Savage from taking over the world.

"So, Rip. Any other ideas of where Savage is at right now?" Bucky asked, taking his seat next to Sara strapping himself in. Kendra and Carter reentered the bridge, taking their places. They're gonna revenge their son's death and make sure that Savage is down for good.

"As a matter of fact I do, Mr. Barnes." Rip replied, having already a theory based on the notes the late Professor Boardman left behind. "Gideon, set the course to Norway, October 21 1975."

_"Understood, Captain."_

"But just so we're clear: I'm gonna let Mick toast you like a marshmallow with his heat gun if you lie to us again." Bucky warned.

-

**AN: Kudos comment bookmark and follow the story.**

 


	5. The Dagger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following a catastrophic mission where Ray loses a piece of the suit, the team attempts to recover it while retrieving an ancient dagger from Kendra's past life.

**Chapter 3: The Dagger**

**-**

**March 2016**

**Star City Courthouse.**

**Star City.**

_Laurel was washing her hands off in the public bathroom. Things were not looking good at the moment right now in . Thea and Diggle's testimonies were dismissed and thrown off the court before Judge Balderrama called for a recess setting an another trial date in three days. So she began internally analyzing her options._

_A: Stand down and see Damien walk out as a free man due to the lack of physical evidence._  
_B: Find someone who knows the details of Darhk's criminal operation and has nothing to lose._  
_C: Find someone who has everything to lose._

_She began narrowing down, A was definitely out of option. B was practically impossible since every ghost had committed suicide before they could even talk. So it all came down to C. There was one person that could do that but the difficult part is to convince him knowing that he'll have a target on his back. But she had to try._

**Norway 1975**

Team Legends arrived in the fjords of Norway October 21 1975.

"I'm gonna be sick." Mick muttered, feeling ill after the Waverider landed on the grass.

"Hey if you wanna puke, there's a bucket in the kitchen." Bucky said, pointing to the door as he got out of his seat. "I don't wanna scrub the floor again."

"Besides, it's not like we time jumped." Snart drawled, raising a eyebrow at his partner's whining.

"I hate flying." Mick grumbled, holding his head. "especially in... whatever this thing is."

"Whatever." Bucky deadpanned, rolling his eyes. Can't he just stop the whining? Bucky sighed turning his attention to Rip. "Where are we? I know We're still 1975 right?

"Indeed. We are on the fjords of Northern Norway to be exact." Rip informed as he got up from his seat and walked over to to his study room to retrieve Boardman's notebook.

"Sounds like a vacation." Snart quipped, smirking.

"Which we can take as soon as the threat of Savage has been neutralized, Mr. Snart. " Rip exited the study with the notebook belonging to Boardman to the main table where everyone was gathered after getting up from their seats."Now according to Aldus's notebook, he theorized that Savage might be here, and if he's right and if we can capture Savage, then at least Professor Boardman didn't die in vain."

"Can't we just go back and save Aldus?" Kendra asked.

"He was our son." Carter added

Rip sighed, he sympathized with Ms Saunders and Mr.Hall's grief. He really do, but as he learned the hard way, they can't participate in events that already occurred. He should know this better than anyone. "Look, I'm sorry. We can't go back and change events in which we participated. Time would fold in on itself, creating a temporal vortex."

"Which sounds way cooler than it is." Ray cut in.

Sara decided to bring everyone's focus to the present situation as she leaned into the table not wanting to listen any science babble. "Forgetting physics for a second, shouldn't we figure out what Savage is doing in Norway?" Sara asked,

"According to Gideon, there is a large meeting of terrorists and fringe groups looking to buy illegal arms."

"Now that sounds like a vacation." Mick smirked, guns and terrorists all in one place. Perfect.

"Arms dealers and terrorists aren't exactly our kind of people, but they're the next best thing." Snart informed pointing between him and Mick.

"Well, looks like you and your lapdog get to earn your keep." Carter said,

Mick sent a glare in Carter's direction."I'm no one's lapdog, bird-man."

"How do we infiltrate the auction and hide in plain sight without raising any suspicion?" Bucky wondered out loud, crossing his arms on his chest as he brought them back to the present topic.

"The Waverider has a fabrication room which can fashion temporally-indigenous, uh, fashion." Rip revealed.

"You've got a room that makes clothing?" Jax asked surprisingly and by the looks on team's faces so was everyone.

"Doesn't everyone?" Rip said, walking towards the door in the direction of the fabrication room.

"All right, first thing we need to do is work up a plan."

"Got a lot of experience infiltrating criminal gatherings?" Snart asked rhetorically, "Didn't think so. I'm calling the shots."

Bucky was in total agreement with tech billionaire however. They can't simply enter into the lion's den without a game plan. "Ray's right. We can't just go into the auction blindly without some sort of a plan."

"And I assume you do, James?" Snart enquired, bringing it up Bucky's real name. Bucky frowned darkly as Ray gulped nervously. Obviously Snart hit a nerve.

"Don't call me that. Only a few people I know calls me by my real name and you're not one of them." Bucky warned, making his threat clear to the klepto thief.

"I know. I just don't care, James."

Ticked off, Bucky was about to punch him with his metal fist but Sara grabbed a hold of his arm and shook her head, telling him it's not worth it. Reluctantly, Bucky lowered his clenched fist to his side with a grunt of displeasure, allowing Snart to smirk victoriously.

"Actually, I'm in charge." Rip spoke up, frustrated over the fact everyone seems to forgot who was in command. "Do I need to remind any of you that I'm a Time Master? Making discrete alterations to the timeline is what I do, so we're not just gonna charge into the past like a bull into a china shop..."

"Half of what you've told us about the mission turned out to be lies." Mick reminded, Bucky pointed to the pyromaniac in agreement.

"None of you have ever encountered Vandal Savage before. I have, and I'm telling you now, you are making a big mistake."

"Kendra and Carter have and besides why should we even listen to you?" Bucky scoffed walking past by Rip with others following his lead to the fabrication room.

"See you soon captain." Mick said.

-  
Getting in to the auction was easy. Way to easy for his liking but he guessed that the security wasn't much as advanced as it was in the 21st century. Bucky stood next to Sara as the bid begun wearing clothing fitting for their undercover.

"I gotta ask, you were too agreeable back in the ship after we found out that Rip lied to us. Why?" Sara asked, curious of what was the thought process of behind Bucky's decision of staying.

"Well, someone has to keep you in line. Remember high school when you slept with a guy who dated the captain of cheerleader team and it ended up in a cat fight at the cafeteria?"

Sara grimaced remembering the two hour lecture she got from her father after she was given a two week detention. He was full on Dad cop mode that day. "Yeah, and my dad grounded me for three months. With the condition that I should have police detail following me at every corner."

Bucky chuckled at that until she brought up a memory of her own. "Besides, you're the one to talk. Do you remember the time when you got into a bar fight with Ollie after you found out that he cheated on Laurel again?" She emphasized the word again.

Now Bucky was the one who grimace at the reminder. It was true that he got into a fight with Oliver after he caught him screwing with a cheer leader in the public bathroom. But to be fair, Oliver provoked him by calling his mother a name that he shall not repeat. "Yeah and Laurel took him back a week after."

During their reminiscence, they were listening to the conversation between Professor Stein and Vandal Savage. Stein had managed to buy the war head and was discussing the terms of the deal.

"Personally, I find it highly unlikely that you were able to accumulate enough fissionable material in this era to fashion a workable nuclear device."

 _"This era?"_ Bucky and Sara looked at each other with a look of "Uh-oh". Stein seemed to realize his slip-up and tried to make a futile excuse to cover up.

 _"A-A figure of speech."_ Savage wasn't convinced by it. In fact, he didn't buy it.

"Damnit, Professor." Bucky muttered to himself as he watched Professor Stein had blown their cover at the auction. He just couldn't keep his mouth shut for just one minute, did he?

"Change of plans." Savage announced while walking back up to the stage."I'll provide a 25% discount to the organization which brings me the heads of these men." Savage pointed to the Legends.

"Shall we?" Sara said sharing a significant look with Bucky as every arms buyer turned their attention to them.

Bucky smirked, "Ladies first." Time to escape, the old fashioned away. Sara took out her expandable bostaff and started swinging as she and Bucky kept the Savage's men busy while Mick and Len were back to back firing ice and fire at any security in their way. Ray flung out of Stein's pocket and made sure that the elderly professor would merge with Jax who was on watch with Kendra and Carter from the outside.

Savage managed to escape from the clutches of Hawkman and Hawkgirl again but not before putting a timer on the nuclear warhead turning, it into a time bomb.

"Guys, we have a nuclear bomb!"

Ray flew into the warhead in his shrunken form to try find a way of disarming it but moments later, the time had decrased from two minutes to 30 seconds.

"Ray! What did you do?!" Sara desperately asked as Ray flew back returning to it's original size.

"I didn't do anything. It must have a fail-safe." Ray explained in a panicked hurry, Bucky groaned before tapping into his ear comm.

"Firestorm, get the nuclear head outta here and get it to a safe distance before it detonates! Now!"

"On it!" Firestorm came to their aid straight away by swooping down, grabbing the nuclear head and flew away with it much to the relief of Bucky and the others.

-

**Waverider**

"What did I tell you? What did I say to you, Stein? I said, Keep your ego in check." Bucky admonished Stein, entering the bridge with the rest of the team, sharing the same opinion as Bucky's. Even though Firestorm stopped the nuclear warhead from leveling the warehouse, The team were annoyed and pissed over how it went down at the auction. "But no, you just had to open your mouth and get yourself into trouble."

"It wasn't entirely my fault, Mr. Barnes. It was Mr. Rory's temper that completely got out of control." Stein defended himself which Bucky rolled his eyes to the excuse.

"I thought we were friends, professor." Mick said pretending to be offended when he really wasn't.

Kendra tried to see bright side of the situation. "At least there's one less nuclear bomb in the world."

They were greeted by Rip's slow clapping seeing him by the steps leaning against the frame of the door to his office. Something told Bucky that he was not happy. At all.

"Here, here. Now you all deserve a hearty congratulations." He told them, voice laced with sarcasm. "Not only did you fail to capture Savage, you exposed yourselves and your powers to him, giving away the element of surprise for now and all time. Well done, team."

"I guess we won't be getting any medals, won't we?" Bucky quipped, Rip glared sharply at the army soldier, his mouth twitching a bit in annoyance of his sarcasm. "I'll take that as no."

"We don't need the element of surprise. We know he's in Norway, so let's find him."

"Unfortunately, we now have larger problems than Savage." Rip interrupted Carter, irritation evident in his voice. "If only you'd have listened to me about the dangers of upsetting the timeline."

"What are you talking about?" Kendra asked, bit worried what damage they had done to the timeline.

"While you were busy saving Norway from nuclear annihilation..."

"You're welcome, Norway." Mick cut in, gruffly.

"Savage sent one of his cronies back to the site of the arms sale. Anyone care to guess what he found?"

Everyone glanced at each other confused by what the former Time Master meant. Well almost everyone.

"Whoops." Ray said sheepishly while checking on his armor when it started to faint and make noises. That can't be good.

_"I am unversed in modern American colloquialisms. Is "Whoops" slang for "Oh"..."_

"Yes, Dr. Palmer seems to have thrown a spanner in the works for the entire timeline." Rip snapped, firmly while looking at Ray as if he was a parent who was disappointed at his son. Yeah, that can't be good at all.

"He left a piece of his suit back in the past?" Bucky spoke incredulously, feeling uneasy about this new development. How the hell did Ray manage to do that? Sure he can be a little clumsy but not that clumsy.

"Yes, Mr. Barnes." Rip confirmed, grimly. "And thanks to Savage's engineers, they develop a weapon far more destructive than anything in 1975."

Rip showed a hologram of Central City, apartment buildings, offices and stores, all on fire. The team then truly realized how much trouble they are in. "This is Central City in 2016. At least it was. I'm not sure what the neo-fascists who took control of it are calling it these days."

"But it's not set in stone, right?"

"Fortunately Gideon is just showing us a forecast of the future you've all created." Rip confirmed Bucky's guess but was holding nothing back to make the team see the consequences of Ray's sloppy mistake. "Time is like cement. It takes time to become permanent. In this case, until Savage's team have worked out the mystery of your future technology and molded it to their own ends. And when they do, what you see here is no longer just a forecast. This." Rip let out a sigh of melancholy. "Is history."

-

So, with that horrific future shown to them, Professor Stein and Ray Palmer began brainstorming of how to track down the missing tech. Since finding Savage was out of the question, Ray came up with the idea to track down the Alpha Particles which is highly traceable. But there lay the problem. It was unheard of back in 70's but luckily there was a young upcoming student who made a research on the Alpha particles. 25 year old Martin Stein. So the only way to find the missing tech was to talk to Stein's younger self.

Kendra and Carter came into the room with new information on how they can beat Savage. they found an newspaper in Professor Boardman's jack pocket regarding an Egyptian dagger Savage used in their first death. It was purchased by a Russian billionaire Sasha Mahnovski.

Snart elected himself to steal the dagger since he had experience in that apartment. Ray volunteered but was dismissed by Snart claiming he already had one, being Mick as usual. That was when Bucky spoke up.

"I'll go with you Ray because someone needs to make sure that you don't screw the timeline more with Dee and Dumb." Bucky stated, pointing towards Smart and Rory.

"A statement I sadly have to agree with." Rip muttered under his breath before telling Ray a cautious warning. "Just don't take along any of your future tech. For the sake of my sanity."  
-

 _"Two criminals, An enhanced assassin and a tech billionaire. Sounds like a concept for a sitcom show."_ Bucky thought as they all crouched behind the bushes right in front of the mansion to check adtwe any trouble that may come their way while plotting to break in.

"I'm seeing motion detectors on the ground floor. Hardware on the doors looks standard issue." Snart observed, seeing a security box on the front lawn. Judging by the lack of the security it had to be a dummy box.

"I can't see any smoke alarms." Mick grinned maniacally.

"Unless you want three armed guards I heard on our tails, I suggest you keep your itchy trigger fingers in check and stay close." Bucky snapped, not wanting to jeopardize the mission by simply burning up the house without getting the dagger first. "Who knows where they have been."

"Want to find out where I put them, Metal Arm?" Mick dared not backing down.

"Not in a million years, Baldy." Bucky retorted.

Ignoring the banter, Snart smirked being impressed by the other assassin. "I see your abilities are already coming in handy, James."

As Bucky was gritting his teeth in irritation, Ray then walked out of their hiding spot towards the security box much to the experienced members dismay. "What the hell are you..."

"I recognize the security system. My parents had the exact one." Ray said smiling like a idiot as he began rewiring the security box not knowing it was a ďummy. Bucky shared a look of disbelief with Snart and Mick whom looked like they were about to kill Ray for being a idiot. "I'll have the access code cracked and security disabled before you could say breaking and entering."

Ping!

"There. We're in." Ray closed the security box and turned to his companions pleased of his work.

"I wouldn't jump for joy if I were you, Einstein." Bucky said, smiling mockingly while walking to the front with Mick and Snart.

Ray looked like a confused puppy, smile vanishing. "What?"

"You just tapped into a dummy box." Bucky explained, hearing footsteps approaching their position.

"Which means those guards are gonna be here." Snart continued.

"Quicker than you can say rookie mistake." Mick finished.

The three guards that Leonard mentioned showed up behind them guns raised.

"Hands up!"

Mick, Bucky and Snart held their hands up whilst Ray looked like a deer caught in the headlights. The trio then slowly turned before disarming the guards of their weapons quickly and threw their punches in sync, knocking the men out. Simple as that.

"Ha." Mick grunted, happy of their work.  
-

After persuading Mick and Len to take the lead which was a lot harder than it looked, Bucky simply used a hair pin he took from Sara's room to unlock the door, he saved the trouble of kicking the door in so that the owner wouldn't have checking the corners to make sure that there were no remaining guards, he told them it was clear. they entered the mansion and walked over to the room where they found the dagger along with the rest of valuable artifacts.

"Found it." Ray exclaimed in joy as he knelt to see the dagger sealed in glass box up close. "Is there a trick to opening the case?"

Bucky answered the trick question by smashing the glass, leaving the dagger intact. Snart and Mick followed his lead smashing the rest, much to the owner of the ATOM suit's bewilderment.

"What are you doing?!" Ray asked, looking between the trio's antics in disbelief. "Let's grab the dagger and let's go."

"Raymond, you don't break into a candy store and steal one gumball."

Ray turned for Bucky for help who was staring in amazement at a piece of necklace jewelry that apparently belonged to Queen Mary of Scotland. "Bucky, tell them."

Breaking out the trance Bucky glanced at him with a look of cynism. "Ray, telling them not to steal is like telling a baby not to crawl." If he was the person that he was 9 years ago, he would've agreed with Ray but that Bucky died a long time ago.

"Exactly." Leonard Snart agreed which caused Ray to throw his hands up in air muttering something.

"You guys grab the goodies. I'll find the safe." Mick told them, heading up the stairs to the office.

"Can I take this?" Bucky requested, gesturing to the neck lace that would be the perfect gift for Laurel's birthday.

Leonard complied to the request with his signature smirk.

"Consider it a gift."

Bucky snatched the necklace from the case and put it in his jack pocket before heading back to the front door.

"What do you think you're doing? This is what we came here for." Ray pointed at the dagger.

"No, it's what you came here for." Smart corrected almost touching the Roman helmet that was worn by Julius Caesar until Ray grabbed his wrist preventing him with a frown.

"Take your hand off me." Snart warned, an underlying threat in his tone.

"I'm not gonna let you jeopardize another mission." Ray claimed, firm in his stand.

"I'm done asking politely." Snart punched Ray catching him off guard. "This is my mission."

"Guys. That's enough." Bucky implored from the hallway, trying to keep the situation under control, he did not the time or the patience for any petty arguments.

Ray completely ignored Bucky's warning. "And I'm gonna listen to a guy who spent half his life in prison?"

Ray returned the favor by a sucker punch of his own, Snart stumbled back, knocking the helmet off it's stand much to his bad luck. The alarm went off and a cage came down from the ceiling, trapping Ray and Snart.

"Great, now we're both going to prison."

Bucky put his hand on his forehead dragging it slowly over his face. "I'm surrounded by Idiots." He mumbled under his breath.  
-

Mick came downstairs upon hearing the alarm and saw Snart and Ray trapped. "What the hell happened?"

Ray and Snart pointed at each other in accusation. "It was this idiot's fault./Your partner's fault." They said in unison.

Mick looked at Bucky who just joined him for explanation. "It was both their faults." He clarified for Mick.

"I told you we shouldn't brought him." Mick told his partner in crime.

"Agreed, but we got bigger problems. I need you to find the fuse box and..."

"Trigger a system default." Mick finished before pointing at Ray. "This ain't over."

"I'll come with you." Bucky said as he followed Mick, "With our luck, we'll run into more trouble than it already is."

Then they started to search room for room for the fuse box. It wasn't in the basement, that was too obvious. It wasn't at the kitchen. But then Bucky found it outside near the garage. the assassin opened the fuse box and studied the wires for moment analysing which was the one that would set alarm back to default. He decided to cut them all. it'd be easier that way.

Once Bucky had reset the alarm system, he begun climbing up to the rooftop reentering the house through the window.  
-

When he was back inside, he overheard a conversation below him and took a peak over the beam, he discovered that Sasha Mahnovski was actually an alias for Vandal Savage. How convenient. He was holding Mick at gun point while Snart and Ray was scowling at him. He quickly deduced that they are time travelers and demanded to meet the rest of team by contacting them through the ear comms. More convenient.

The situation at hand had gone from bad to worse in a heart beat.

"Your friends are cowards." Savage hissed, feeling impatient.

"They'll be here." Ray reassured, a dark frown etched on his usual gleeful face. Smart looked up as he heard quick footsteps and saw Bucky on the upper floor who put his finger to his mouth, shushing him. Snart smirked before turning his attention back to Savage.

Having waited long enough Savage put his gun to Mick's templem intent to pull the trigger. "They're taking too long. They need an incentive..."

"That's my cue." Bucky thought as he jumped from the upper floor using the beam to kick Savage knocking him down.

The immortal tyrant chuckled as he got up slowly, eying Bucky's cybernetic arm. Bucky didn't like that one bit. He's lost an arm once, he would not lose it twice. "We meet again Nuadha. I shall look forward of adding your prosthetic arm to my collection."

"Don't count on it." Bucky ducked under a nuclear blast that a newly arrived Firestorm had just sent hitting Savage square in the chest. Savage was sent through the bricks of the mansion and into the stone patio.

Firestorm stood by Bucky's side taking a good look at the immortal man's prone body.

"Good timing Kid." Bucky praised Firestorm for the save. Not that he had it covered anyway which he did.

"You ok Mick?" Jax asked Mick who regained consciousness still lying on the floor.

He spat out blood. "I'm pissed."

Hearing that he was alright in his own words Bucky walked over and used his enhanced strength and his metal arm to grab the cage bars, pulling them apart to make a hole big enough for Ray and Snart to walk through.

-

"It's all good. Savage is down." Jax reported as they joined Kendra and Carter in their hawk uniforms, Rip and Sara was among those who'd come to their aid exiting from the mansion.

"Savage is not defeated by earthly means." Carter reminded him.

"Well, I hit him with a nuclear blast, so, you know, not that earthly."

Leonard brought the dagger out of his coat handing it to them. "Go get that son of a bitch."

"Are you ready for this?" Carter asked his long time lover while taking it.

"We've only been waiting 4,000 years." Kendra responded, they spread their wings and flew off heading inside to kill Savage. Bucky will never get used to seeing that.

Bucky then noticed flash lights in the background which meant one thing. Savage's calvary had arrived, given the amount of black suits his men wore. "Guys we got company." he alerted everyone.

"Friends of Savage." Rip muttered, handing the mini version of Ray's suit with the missing piece of tech back in place to the owner. "You'll be needing this and don't leave any pieces of it behind this time." Ray looked sheepish at the stern warning before putting it on him.

Team Legends went to take on Savage's guard squad; 

Bucky ducked a upcoming jab from a guard returning the jab of his own to the chest cavity causing the guard to bend down before wrapping his metal arm around the tracheda, putting pressure on the neck as he snapped it with a quick pop. Tossing the body away, Bucky side stepped a charging guard before lifting him up slightly by the back of suit jacket as he grasped the chin, twisting his head in mid air with a snap and slamming him to the ground, dead. Bucky spun himself around kicking the next guard across the jaw, making the guard 360 before landing on the grass with a thud.

Buck heard screams of sorrow from inside the house. He ran back into the house, seeing Savage about to finish Kendra off with the dagger while Carter was already dead. Bucky kicked Savage in the back, stopping him from delivering the coup de grace. Not giving him a chance to regain his senses, Bucky decided to grab him by the coat and threw him through the window.

Bucky rushed to check Carter's pulse by placing two fingers on the side of neck. There were none. "He's gone."

"Come on, we can still kill this bastard." Snart insisted walking into the room with the other Legends.

"Kendra is the only one who can." Rip said, "We must leave at once before Savage recovers!"

"And you're telling us this now?!" Bucky asked, that would've been nice to know beforehand for Kendra and Carter before the said Carter got himself killed. 

Bucky then took a deep breath to calm himself down and carried a fatally wounded Kendra as he sent Rip a menacing glare making a full retreat to the Waverider with the rest of the Team following him.

-

"Two people are dead and one of ours is in the fight of her life thanks to you! Do you know what you've done!"

Bucky was holding Rip by the neck, back against the wall choking him to death. His hand were around his throat, gripping it tightly making it clear. Leonard and Mick were watching from distance amused while Ray was worried that he might actually kill the former time master.

Ray managed to stabilize Kendra's condition with the help of Rip for now in the medbay but given the amount of fragments that were in her body, the chances of her recovery were pretty slim.

"I'm quite aware of the grim situation we have found ourselves in, Mr. Barnes." Rip croaked, struggling to breathe. "And I'll admit, I wasn't exactly truthful in regards to the dagger that killed Mr. Hall."

"That's a first." Sara muttered quietly.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't let Mick burn you like a roasted pig with his heat gun." Bucky demanded, Mick's eyes glinted at the prospect of burning the Englishman.

"I can give you two." Rip wheezed, "One: Thanks to Ms. Lance, Dr. Palmer's future technology is no longer in the hands of Vandal Savage's black market weapons designers and two: Much to my dismay, it did little to change the fate of my future. Vandal Savage will still rise to power in 2166 and my family will still die."

There was a moment of tense silence between the two until Bucky released Captain Hunter from his death grip, Rip was coughing while rubbing his sore throat as he gasped for air. Ray, Stein and Jax let out a sigh of relief, Mick grunted disappointed that he didn't get to burn the former time Master.

"So what now?"

"Now? Now it's up to you." Rip said still rubbing his throat.

"To do what, Rip?" Snart said. "Last I checked, every time we try to do anything, it all goes to crap."

"Oh I quite disagree." Rip shook his head, it wasn't a complete failure. They've averted a future crisis at hand so it was progress. "As I mentioned thanks to Ms Lance, your future is no longer in peril."

"But as you mentioned, it didn't do anything to change the fate of your world." Stein stated,

"No. Vandal Savage will still rise to power in the year 2166." Rip informed them sadly.

"And your family will still die?" Jax asked,

"So what you're really asking is, do we want to fish or cut bait? Return to 2016 and live out the rest of our lives as insignificant losers or..."

"Make another play at becoming legends." Ray finished catching on Snart's train of thought.  
"Figure out how to end Savage and save the world."

"Without further causing nuclear explosions." Stein added.

"Savage has my attention." Mick said from his seat, he didn't care much for rest of the idiots but as long as he'd get his hands on Savage, he'd tolerate them.

Bucky thought to himself, should he berate Rip more or should he help Rip stop Savage from conquering the world? Seeing that he already did the berating part, he went for saving the world. "If you take out one of my men, you can expect there'll be hell to pay, specially for what that bastard did to Carter."

Leonard smirked, "Nicely put, James."

"Surely Captain Hunter has a sound plan." Stein guessed, Rip nodded as Stein turned to Jax. "What about you?"

"You're asking me?"

"I didn't give you much of a choice the first time, did I?"

"Well, I say we kick Savage's ass." Jax proclaimed,"For Carter."

"For Carter!" They all chorused, dedicating the mission to their fallen comrade.

**AN: Nuadha is the name in Irish mythology of a man who had a silver arm to the replace the one he lost.**

 

 


	6. Monster Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite being a man down, Bucky and Sara suggests that they should cripple Savage's finances but unfortunately the side effects of the Lazarus comes into play which could jeopardize the whole mission.

**Chapter 4: Monster Part 1**

**-**

**March 2016**

**Star City**

**D.A's Office.**

_"Wow, that's.. Unbelievable." Remz uttered his amazement after Quentin Lance finished narrating his story of his involvement with Damien Darhk: How it started, how he played his part in Darhk's criminal operations, the cripple of the city council, the cover up of the crimes that was committed by Ghosts, everything from murder, bank robbery, larceny: The whole nine yards. Laurel was sitting next to her father across the acting D.A. of Star City._

_She contacted her father and asked him for his help and surprisingly he agreed to it. His reason was that when he became a cop, he made a promise to himself that if he ever crossed the line between an officer and criminal, he'd be no better than the those he's sworn to protect the city from. Specially seeing that Darhk orchestrated the attempted murder on Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak Last Christmas._

_"Believe it, Remz." Laurel stated, a confident look on her face._

_"I'll tell Judge Balderrama right away about this. This will be a huge turning point in the trial this Sunday" Remz said,_

_Laurel smiled, pleased of his answer. "Perfect. My offer is pretty straight forward. Captain Lance's testimony in exchange for full immunity."_

_"Your father just confessed to being an accessory in how many crimes?" He asked his Assistant D.A. incredulously, not believing what he just heard while rising up from his chair._

_"Cases that you would never make in a million years without my client's testimony." Laurel argued, getting off her chair as well while her father remained seated._

_"Normally that would be true if it was just corruption, but Captain Lance is a law enforcement officer." Nemz gestured to the elder Lance who was unusually quiet but there was a guilty expression on his face. "That looked the other way while a City representative was murdered right in front of him and he didn't say a damn word about it."_

_"He couldn't because my life was threatened and if he did, he would've been charged with first degree murder." She said, making her point across. "Can you say the same if roles were reversed and you were blackmailed, having no choice but follow every order or else you would be sentenced to life for a crime you didn't commit?"_

_Nemz had no answer to that._

_Laurel sat back on her seat."If you don't accept the terms, we'll walk out of your office right now and the deal expires. What's gonna be?"_

_Nemz thought long and hard about this. "Six years. On each count. But that's it."_

_Laurel was about to make an protest when her father cut her off. He overheard pretty much anything and as much he appreciated Laurel standing up for him, D.A Nemz was. He'd watched Marc Guggenheim getting murdered in front  of his own his eyes and couldn't do a damn thing about it. "He's right, Laurel. I did the crime."_

_"Dad."_

_"It's ok, baby." Quentin reassured his oldest before gazing back to Nemz. "I'll take the deal."_

_"Then it's settled."_

_-_

_**Star City Courthouse.** _

_**Sunday** _

_Sunday couldn't have arrived any faster as Damien Darhk who was the defendant glowered with burning hatred and Captain Lance was on witness stand in the courtroom._

_Before the trial had begun, he had some doubts of whether or not he was doing the right thing because he could lose his badge for what he was about to confess on the stand but seeing the look of assurance from his oldest daughter, he knew that it was right thing anyway._

_"Captain Quentin Larry Lance, Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, under pains and penalties of perjury?"_

_There was no hesitation in his voice as Quentin replied to the bailiff. "I do."_

_-_

**_30 minutes later_ **

_The Trial had reached a recess 5 minutes ago as both the Lances were in the break room, emotionally drained from the details she had to hear from her father on the stand._

_"How you're feeling Dad?" Laurel asked her father._

_"Well considering that I'm about to spend six years in prison, I feel good actually. Who knows, maybe if i'm lucky, i'll probably sit next to Darhk. " Quentin chuckled, Laurel shook her head with a ghost of smile as Oliver entered the break room._

_"Oliver. What is it?" Laurel inquired seeing a grim expression  on his face._

_"I want to show something to you."  Oliver said and judging by the tone in his voice, it cannot be good._

_Curiosity_ _peaked, Laurel walked over to her ex boyfriend to see what was important as Oliver played a track on his cellphone from a bug he'd planted in the courtroom just in case something went wrong their way and it was as she listening a woman speak that made the Assistant DA freeze in horror._

**_"Michael Young, 789 West 144th Street._ _Victor Grayson, 612 East 78th Street."_**

_" **What the hell? That's my address."** A young male juror uttered in fear._

_**"Joy Smith, 707 Lovell Ave."** The female juror continued speaking **"**_ **_I'm sorry, they made me memorize them."_ **

_"Oh no, no, no no." Laurel muttered, all the hard work that she and the others had put on into capturing Darhk, had seemingly gone down the drain._

_"Laurel what's wrong?" Quentin asked concerned._

_With a sharp exhale Laurel turned to her father with a angered look. "It's the jurors. Darhk got to them." Laurel revealed, Quentin paled of what that meant._

_-_

Star City

**May 29 2016**

"I'm glad you came Buck. I really am." Laurel muttered sighing in content, they were taking a stroll on the city streets, the citizens were still recovering from Darhk's.

"Anything for you, Doll." Bucky reassured, giving her a peck on the lips. Laurel returned the favor with a peck of her own. They fell into a comfortable silence as they headed into the direction of the Arrowcave.

"Who left Star City after Darhk was brought into custody?" Bucky asked, wanting to know who's left in the city of the stars.

"John, Felicity." Laurel replied, John went to reenlist himself back into the army while still feeling guilty about killing his brother in cold blood. Felicity took the first flight back home to Las Vegas still dealing with the aftermath of her failed relationship with Oliver and losing her position as the CEO of Palmer Technology.

"You?"

Laurel paused considering her answer to his question. "TBD."

"Thea?"

"Says she's retired."

-

**1975**

Buck was laying on the bed in his room, admiring the Royal necklace he stole from Savage's private collection in Norway. Even though Kendra's condition had been stable for now, they couldn't afford to time jump into another time because it might endanger her life so they were still stuck in 1975. Leipzig, Germany to be exact which was the next location where Savage was currently residing in.

Sara entered the room to see Bucky admiring a glittering necklace on his bed. "Nice. Planning on give it to Laurel?"

Bucky nodded, not taking his eyes of it. "Yep. This necklace has a bit of royal history."

"Ooh, I'm intrigued."

"This belonged to Queen Mary of Scotland, Courtesy of Vandal Savage." He informed his sister in all but blood.

"Never pegged you as a stealing type."

"Oh there's a lot things you don't know about me." Bucky said cryptically stashing it away in a compartment box underneath his bed. "So, to summarize our current situation, Carter is dead, his soulmate isn't far behind to join him in the afterlife, Savage is still around and we're stuck in 1975."

"Pretty much." Sara shrugged, taking a seat across Bucky.

"So, the question is how we slow Savage down in his quest for World domination?" Bucky wondered out loud.

"Well, Ra's Al Ghul taught us a thing or two about fighting powerful adversaries. If you can't kill your enemy, weaken him."

"If you can't cut off his head, take his heart." Bucky finished, getting a impressed look from Sara.

"You forgot I was his student too in the League of Assassins."

"Right after you left ARGUS following the Winter Soldier project. I know."

"Right. So why was he trying to sell the nuke at the auction?" Bucky mused, staring at the ceiling.

"Money." She said as if it was the obvious answer.

Bucky nodded getting a idea of where she was thinking. "If we cripple his finances, it would cause a setback in his plans."

"Money is power. Take away Savage's fortune and he's just a regular guy with a really long lifespan."

"Exactly."

Who says that Assassins aren't bunch of mindless pawns?

-

After retelling about what they talked about to Rip in his office, Rip occurred with their assessment that it certainly would set Savage's plan for world domination back a few decades or so. So the question though is where does Savage keep his money in 1975? Fortunately Gideon had the answer to that.

"Dr. Boardman theorized that Savage entrusted it to the Bruemberg Group, the oldest bank in the world." Gideon informed Sara, Bucky and Rip. That was music to their ears.

"I'll go tell the rest of the team." Sara spun on her heels and was about head out to tell her team members when Rip stopped her.

"That won't be necessary. I'm going alone."

"What?" Bucky questioned, not understanding his rejection.

"I can't have any more blood on my hands."

Sara tried to reason with the Captain. It's suicide going there alone. "Except for your own? You can't go in there without backup."

"Look, I brought you all with me under false pretenses. Carter would still be alive if I hadn't have convinced him to come." Rip justified his decision.

"No one's on this ship that doesn't want to be here." Sara pointed it out.

"But I can't risk the whole team." Rip insisted.

"Fine just us then." Bucky gestured between him and Sara. "And before you say no, we're not giving you a choice. We're going with you to that bank."

The long time partners in crime Snart and Mick walked in slyly upon hearing Bank. Mick was eating his snacks while Snart had that smirk that always to seem annoy anyone. "Somebody say bank?"

"Your services aren't required, Mr. Snart. This is purely reconnaissance." Rip said, realizing that he wasn't gonna try to talk the two former League of Assassins members out of this.

"We know how to case banks." Mick said with his mouth full. Rip sighed hanging his head in exasperation. "We're practically bankers."

"'Cept we take the money out." Snart added,

"Yes, and when I need someone to steal something, you'll be the first to know, I assure you."

Not taking it too kindly, Mick got up in Rip's face. "Listen, Englishman. I'm getting bored being stuck on this tin can. And when I get bored, I make bad decisions."

Playing the peace keeper, Leonard quickly stepped in between the two. "Now, now, now, we're all on the same side here." Snart told them both before addressing the former Time Master. "My hot-headed friend and I just want to be helpful. That's all."

"Duly noted." Rip nodded to Sara and Bucky who started to follow Rip's lead toward the fabrication Room.

-

**1975**

**Leipzig, Germany**

**Bruemberg Group**

Bucky wore a black suit posing as a bodyguard for the Rockefellers whom were Rip and Sara in disguise. They entered Bruemberg Group bank, Bucky shadowing them assessing the security along with Sara discreetly as they walked up to the front desk.

"Hmm" Bucky thought to himself as he spotted a crucifix burn on the neck on one of the guards standing by the entrance. South African Mercenaries. Not good. Sara noticed it too.

"Excuse me. We'd like to deposit some family heirlooms." Rip began explaining their visit smoothly.

"I'm sorry, we're a private bank." A blonde receptionist said looking apologetic. "We don't secure valuables worth less than $10 million." Bucky and Sara's eyes caught her grabbing something under the desk. A silenced Beretta to be exact.

"Well, I'm sure this will suffice." Rip placed a silver brief case on the desk and opened it showing it's content. " Doubloons from the wreck of the Esplinade. They've been appraised at $10 million dollars... a piece."

-

Bucky and Sara didn't pay much attention to Rip cutting a deal with a Mr. Blake, a member of the bank staff in his office. Once he left the office with the case in hand and making it sure that the coast was clear, Rip took Blake's seat and started to look into his computer, hacking the system.

"Interesting. There are records here referring to something called the "vessel"." Rip reported with a deep interest.

"We have a problem." Sara said walking up to the desk with Bucky trailing him.

"Yes, I know, none of Savage's funds are in this bank. I'm working on locating this "vessel", but I'm not sure I'll do so before our new friend returns." Rip replied completely oblivious to what the two assassins meant.

"To kill us."

Rip finally looked away from the computer screen with a puzzled look.

"The receptionist had a silenced Beretta under her desk." Sara began explaining their assessments to Rip.

"The guards had initiation burns on the left side of their necks which indicated that they are South African mercenaries." Bucky added.

"And our new friend here has calluses on his right hand consisted with Kuroda trained swordsmen." Sara finished.

"How do you know?" Rip questioned,

"Because we have the same calluses. Which means they've probably figured out that we are not Rockefellers who just came into their inheritance."

Rip dismissed the assassins observations as nothing more than superstitious paranoia. "Oh, don't be such alarmists. Calluses are hardly definitive proof of anything."

"Tell them that." Bucky said jerking his thumb to the group that assembled behind the trio who turned around and saw the group outside the office.

It included the Receptionist, Mr Blake with a sword in hand instead of the case and the guards. Rip tried to maintain their cover but Bucky and Sara knew that wasn't going to work."Well, if this is how you treat your customers, we might just have to take our business elsewhere." Rip joked.

Ignoring him, Sara stepped forward out to the office, brandishing a knife from her thigh holster and threw it against the receptionist with precision, hitting her in the chest, killing her instantly.

Realizing what she just did, Rip turned to Sara with one of his many scoldings of not listening to instructions. "I thought I specifically said no weapons!"

Sara patted Rip on his shoulder with a sly smirk."You can thank us later." She lent Bucky a hand who was already engaging.

Bucky parred a few punches with ease before giving the guard he was fighting against a few blows of his own to the weak spots, making him dazed before wielding his combat knife and silting his throat expertly before tossing it to Sara who caught it gracefully embedding it in another guard's neck before ripping it out violently. She returned the favour as she threw the knife back to Bucky clutching the tip of the blade before flinging it to the nexy guard's head. He died the second it lodged into his skull.

Sensing someone from behind Bucky backhanded the last guard with his metal fist, square in the nose, knocking him out.

Seeing that Mr. Blake was the only one left, Bucky glanced back at Sara with a playful smirk.

"Two against one. Seems unfair, isn't it?"

"I like those odds." Sara evaded Blake's swings while Bucky stood back and watch as Sara kicked it away and hitting him in the sternum.  
The bloodlust starting to kick in, she started to pounce on Blake who tried to cover up from the punches she was giving him. She had a blank look as if she was in a trance.

"Sara don't! We didn't get anything from the computer. We need him alive!"

Realizing she was about to do as she ignored Rip's warning, especially when Sara grabbed Blake's discarded sword from the and was going to kill him before they could get any valuable information, Bucky hurled another knife to block the sword. That was enough for her to snap out of the trance. Blake laughed taunting Sara which earned him another punch to the chin sending him to oblivion.

"That was too close for comfort." Rip muttered under his breath in relief.

-

"What the hell was that!" Bucky asked Sara who was not in the mood for 20 questions back at the Waverider. Meanwhile Rip who had just escorted an cuffed Mr. Blake to the holding cells for interrogation, was eavesdropping into their conversation in the hallway where they were talking. "I thought you had it under control!"

"You knew how I was when we joined Rip's mötley crew of misfits. That's why Rip recruited us, right?"

Bucky did not have time for Sara's attitude. "Sara what Rip and I just saw wasn't just some resurrected assassin on that guy! We saw an animal back there!"

Sara turned and faced her childhood friend with tears in her eyes deeply affected by his words."You of all people are the _last_ person on this ship to judge _anyone_ , Bucky!" She spat sounding hurt.

"Don't try to turn that crap on me." He snapped, tempers were flaring and either of the two were backing down. "I'm not perfect but I'm not making excuses for what I did either! I'm just concerned about you."

Sara scoffed, not believing a word of the man she considered a brother to her. "You could never understand. I'm not some animal! I'm an monster." She said the last word in a whisper.

"I don't believe that Sara. You may be a lot of things but you are not a monster."

"You should. Because that's all I am now thanks to the Pit." Sara turned away and left Bucky in the corridor agitated as she practically stormed back to her room. Does she really have a low opinion of herself?

-

After the heated argument in the corridor, Rip wisely brought Bucky to the holding cells while leaving Sara some time to cool off sort to speak. Bucky was leaning lazily against the wall arms crossed on his chest, Rip was circling around Mr. Blake purposely.

"I'm gonna make this very simple for you, Mr. Blake." Rip began,

"You tell me where Vandal Savage is hiding his fortune and we will let you leave here unmolested."

Bucky sighed disappointed that he was not going to use his interrogation techniques but he'd play nice, for now. "Too bad."

Mr. Blake chuckled amused, no torture is gonna break him. Savage has trained them to endure the most excuriating pain. "Vandal Savage... is that the name you know him by?"

Rip shrugged. He'd figured as much given his longlasting existence that he would have more than just one alias. "Let's assume so, yes."

"And what is your name, Gareeb?"

Rip froze upon hearing that name."Will you give us a moment?" He asked Bucky whose ears perked in curiosity.

"Gareeb?" Bucky repeated, interested by the reaction of Rip to the name. It means poor in Arabic, So what did it mean to Captain because it seem to struck a chord.

"It's a legend passed down for 4,000 years. When my master was first bestowed the gift of eternal life, an enemy tried to kill him. Every myth has its monster, its devil. For those of our order, it's him, the Gareeb." Blake explained the folktale getting the ex ARGUS operative's attention.

"I'd stop talking now if I were you, mate." Rip warned, trying to hide something which made Bucky even more curious. But Blake ignored him.

"If I were you, I'd run. Your friend has already failed to kill my master once. He won't be able to protect you." Blake told Bucky, then turned to Rip with a taunting grin. "In fact, I highly doubt he's ever been able o protect anyone."

With a cry of barely controlled rage, Rip punched him knocking him out and that left Bucky with more questions than answers.

-

"What did he mean you already tried to kill Savage? Damnit answer me." Bucky demanded stalking Rip like a cockroach wondering about what Blake meant in the hallway.

"Leave it be, James." Rip tried to shrug off the question but Buck wasn't gonna have it. Not today.

"No! Unless you tell me right this moment I'm gonna..."

Seeing that Mr.Barnes wasn't just gonna let it go until he got his answers, Hunter relented. "Yes, okay! Yes, I-I had the chance o kill Savage once before. I had him dead to rights and I hesitated." Rip confessed, leaving one of two assassins shocked at this new revelation as the former time Master's mind went down the old memory lane to the night where he almost killed Savage right before his immortality was bestowed upon. That split moment of hesitation cost him his family's death and countless others.

-

_"Get off me! Aah!"_

_"I asked you a question. Who are you, Gareeb?"_

-

Stunned for the first time today, Bucky for the first time saw Rip in a different light. His impression was that Rip was one of those people that simply did not care about the casualties as long as he completed the mission. But he realized that underneath that stern exterior was a father in mourning.

"I'm sure it wasn't easy. We all have moments of hesitation. Doesn't make you a bad person." Bucky knew that look all too well. He had his fair share of those back in the military and as assassin.

"The man killed my wife and son and God knows how many other wives and sons, and yet I couldn't..." Rip sighed, showing how much that night haunted him, there isn't a day gone by thinking about how he could've stopped him. "Killing people doesn't make you or Sara monsters, James, but having the chance to avenge your family and not taking it... that does." Rip went back into the holding cells, leaving Bucky to reconsider the image he had of him previously.

-

 

  
**AN: Comment kudos, bookmark and follow.**

 


	7. Monster Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the interrogation of Savage's right hand man, Rip and Bucky learns that the vessel is the late Carter Hall which changes the whole complexion.

**Chapter 4: Monster Part 2**

-

_J **une 25, 2003**_

_**Starling City** _

_Bucky could only sigh at the sight he was seeing back at the lockup inside SCPD precinct. Sara Lance in jail, again. This time for breaking and entering and carrying fake identity with her newest squeeze who somehow doesn't scream good parenting. Quentin is gonna throw a fit when he finds out about this if he hasn't already._

_Sara, Bucky and Laurel have known each other since childhood. They all met through the Peter Pan incident, where Sara forgot her lines and tried to improvise by tap dancing at a school play. Needless to say, it didn't go so well. And as they grew up, Bucky started to develop feelings for the older Lance girl but unfortunately by the time he got the nerve to ask her for a date, she was already with Oliver Queen, the constant cheater and an all time jackass._

_"Sometimes I think you like getting arrested." Bucky said shaking his head at the rebellious teenager who had a tendency to get herself into trouble than she cared to admit._

_"I had it under control." Sara said defiantly while crossing her arms, pouting like a child. "If it wasn't for that damn silent alarm, I would've been fine."_

_Bucky snorted, unconvinced by the excuse. "How many times is this?" Bucky pretended to remember the amount of times she's been arrested for. "Fourth?"_

_"Fifth." Sara mumbled, lowering her head down._

_"Seriously Sara? You can't continue doing this. When are you gonna grow up?"_

_Sara scoffed, giving him a hateful glare. She always hated the lecture speeches she was getting from. "That's easy for you to say, you're the only kid while I get to deal with the golden child. Sara why can't you be more like Laurel? Sara, Laurel just got accepted at Harvard, Columbia and Vermont." Sara made an accurate impersonation of her parents which scared him slightly. "I'm the black sheep, remember?"_

_"No, you're not. You just want to believe that you are." Bucky replied. "Besides, you got me that's gonna remind you that you're better than this, even if you can be a bitch sometimes." He added which earned him a chuckle from Sara despite her mood._

_"Jerk."_

_-_  
_**1975** _

"Wake up buddy." Bucky slapped Blake's cheek a few times bringing him back to the living in the holding cells. Rip was in the dim light ready for another set of question and hopefully he could find out about the vessel the second time around. "Let's see if you can answer Rip's questions this time."

"Back for more?" Blake teased in a mocking manner, Bucky swung his metal fist across his cheek. Blake felt something metallic in his mouth and spit out some blood to the floor.

"Mr. Barnes!" Rip reprimanded Bucky like a teacher scolding a student. There was no need for such violent interrogation techniques. Buck huffed but backed off rather unwillingly.

"Good boy." Blake mocked, grinning like a smug fool.

Rip sighed, letting Bucky to throw another punch at Blake this time. He deserved it.

"Now. Where's Savage's fortune?" Rip questioned Savage's minion as Bucky let him do the talking. "I'm particularly interested in this thing called the vessel."

"The vessel is my master's most treasured possession." Blake replied.

"Excellent, and where can we find it?"

"The Greyhill Building." Blake answered quickly, too quickly for their liking. "There's a gathering tonight in celebration of it."

"And obviously you want us to go so we can get ourselves killed." Bucky assumed, crossing his arm on his chest again, purposely making him bigger.

Blake glanced at Buck, smirking like a grinch. "Obviously." He echoed.

"What is the vessel?" Rip asked, taking a few steps towards him standing alongside Bucky.

"It's the remains of Prince Khufu of the Middle Kingdom. I believe you know him as Carter Hall." He revealed much to Rip and Bucky's horror. They'd been so worried about saving Kendra that they forgot about taking Carter inside Savage's mansion in St. Roch. Rip's eyes widened in horror while although Bucky appeared to be passive, he was anything but given the new information he'd just received.

"What the hell is Savage going to do with Carter's body?" Bucky asked, worried of what that bastard might do with Kendra's deceased lover.

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"  
-

"Gideon, locate at Greyhill Building and set a course." Rip demanded as they exited the holding cells leaving Blake still tied up. The interrogation had completely changed the course of the mission. In that moment, Rip made a heartfelt decision.

"I thought we were gonna go after Savage's finances." Bucky said reminding the former Time Master of what was the main mission or so he thought.

"Yeah, well, not anymore!" Rip snapped, turning to face the former assassin with fire in his eyes. "I won't let Carter's remains be desecrated by that monster. I won't let him win again. And when Kendra wakes up, and she will wake up, she can give her soul mate a proper farewell."

Respecting the passion shown by the former time master, Bucky couldn't help but agree to that despite their differences. Carter deserved way better than what he got and if they can manage to retrieve the body, he at least deserved a proper burial.

"Alright, but we need to tell the team first about the change of plans. There's no way you're gonna go there alone." Bucky advised.

Rip nodded in agreement, thinking James was right, as much as he hated to admit it. "Gideon!" He called for the Ship's A.I to find the rest

_"Sir, I regret to inform that Mr. Snart, Mr. Rory, and Mr. Jackson are no longer aboard the ship."_

Sharing a look of bafflement with Rip, Bucky was confused of where in time and space were the two criminals and former quarterback? What was so important? "Where the hell could they be?"

-

"Change of plans." Bucky announced as he entered Sara's room with the aforementioned Sara still sulking about what happened at the Bank. She didn't move an inch. "We're going to retrieve the vessel that Rip mentioned at the Greyhill Building. Turns out it is the remains of Carter Hall. Wanna come?"

Not feeling up to it, Sara shook her head no. "I'll stay put."

Sighing through the nostrils of his nose. Bucky kneeled in front of her who was sitting on her chair, twirling with a dagger. He knew her current state because he was in the same position three years ago, after he was released from the League due to his anger but not before he completed his training. and before that the Winter Soldier Project. "Sara, you think you're only one who has done horrifying things that would give a normal man nightmares? What's in the past is in the past. What matters is what you do now."

Sara scoffed at that. She's beyond saving. She's a killer. Always will be. "How? Do you have any idea how many lives I've took? The things I've done? I'm unredeemable."

Buck knew her better than that. "If you were unredeemable, why did you stay in Star City after you discovered your bloodlust?" He asked her bluntly taking her off guard.

She tried to find another reason for that. "Because of my sister and Ollie?"

"Because you wanted to be better." He stated. "You could've wallowed yourself in self pity and left, but you listened to them and stayed after your soul was restored which tells me that you're still a good person."

He patted Sara's knee telling her this. "Besides, You got me, to remind you that you are better than just being an assassin." Bucky left her room heading to the main room in hopes that he got through to Sara.

-

He was more than pleased to see that he did get through, seeing that Sara had joined both Rip and Bucky at the main bridge. Rip gave her the low down of what they had learned so far.

Buck was watching both Sara and Rip passing through the main gate into the Greyhill building with Mr. Blake as their unwilling accomplice from a distance in his car. He was their shadow in case that they'd blown their cover and given the team's current record, it was justifiable. He was currently listening to the conversation between Sara and Rip as they quietly entered the party inside with classical music playing in the background.

 _"I wasn't quite sure that you would come, Ms.Lance, given your display at the Nuremberg Bank."_ Rip replied, Bucky took the time to sneak past the guard by skimming up the wall that was out of sight and jumped off it, landing on the ground quietly. He went behind the left side of building climbing up the pipe before leaping off it into the parking lot area.

 _"I wasn't planning to."_ Sara admitted. _"You can thank Bucky for that"_

 _"I'm beginning to see the benefits of having James on board."_ He replied, _"He can be quite the inspiration especially when it concerns you."_

 _"You_ _mean besides punching whenever he felt like it?"_ Sara chuckled, that was one way of putting it. _"He wasn't always like that. He was a good man with good morals. Still is, somewhat."_

_"Given the hell he's been through, i'm amazed that he's retained some level of sanity. I assume your sister has some role in it."_

Sara didn't deny that. _"_ _You might say that. Buck, where are you?"_

"I'm inside the parking lot. Stand by." Bucky informed Sara while dragging an unconscious male guest who was one of Savage's henchmen and stuffing the body inside in the trunk of a car. Adjusting his jacket, he headed to the elevator, pressing the up button. the doors opened for him to enter and pressed the one that would lead to the ballroom. "I'm heading up to the party. Have you guys located Carter's body yet?"

 _"Not yet but once we've found him, meet us at the maintenance elevator. We can take him to the Waverider from the loading bay on the lower levels."_ Rip said.

"Roger that." Bucky replied as the elevator stopped suddenly. Sensing someone coming in his way, Bucky saw six men, no doubt the minions of Vandal Savage stepping inside the elevator. Already weary, he stood in the middle of the six menacing men that surrounded the ex ARGUS operative as the elevator resumed its ascension to the ballroom with one single thought. Did he really think that Bucky was going down that easily? As if.

"Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" Bucky asked casually, inviting them to throw the first punch.

One of the guys pressed the emergency button right way before they all ganged up on him in an attempt to restrain him but they were no match for his strength and reflexes as they were about to see it up close and personal.

Bucky pried his wrist off effortlessly and chopped henchman 1 in the throat, he then hit 2 and 3 with both of his elbows, dearest 4 who was holding him from behind, grabbing his arm as Bucky threw him off. His huge body collided into his compatriots as the former assassin jumped using his enhanced agility, double kicking 5 and 6 in the chest area sending them into their allies again.

One of them drew out a medium sized dagger and tried to stab him Bucky only for him to lose it as Bucky snatched it by grabbing his wrist, twisting it and thrust it up his chin before ripping it off, making his first kill. He then stabbed the second in the stomach before taking it out abruptly.

The numbers already dropping, Bucky flipped the knife grabbing the tip of the blade and hurled it striking henchman 3 in the head embedding it into the skull. He sidestepped a front kick catching the foot whilst kicking the other leg out before breaking it of henchman 4. He heard a yell of pain before parring a left hook delivering a blow to the abdomen taking the breath right out of henchman 5 who went to his knees giving Bucky the widow to grab his chin and the back of his head twisting it, he heard a crack.

Realizing that his colleagues were either dead or incapacitated, the last henchman held his hands up.

"Whoa, big guy. Just wanted to know Nuadha, this ain't personal." He tried to attack Bucky by surprise but Bucky had already anticipated it by evading him, catching his arm by the side before throwing him down on the hardened floor, twisting it in an unnatural way before using his metal fist to knock him out with one swift punch to the temple.

Standing up to examine the carnage he'd just caused, Bucky breathed heavily. "Kinda feels personal." He grumbled.

Bucky pressed the emergency stop button once more to get the elevator moving again. He brushed some dust off his jacket as the elevator finally arrived at its destination. The doors opened to reveal Jax, Snart and Mick standing before him.

Jax's eyes widened upon seeing the bodies laying at the feet of Buck. "Whoa, What the hell happened to these guys?" He asked.

Bucky just shrugged. not giving much information. "It's a long story."

-

Bucky tried to contact Sara and Rip via the ear comms but they didn't respond to his call. Instead Stein informed him from the Waverider that both Sara and Rip had been compromised.

  
When Bucky asked him of how did they know that, Stein dismissed the question saying there's no time to explain but Bucky already knew. Blake must've turned on them and blown which explains the elevator fight.

_"This is perversion!"_

_"No, this is the power you have no hope of defeating. Everyone here is sworn to live and die at my command. Why? 'Cause to them, I am a God! I pity you. You have no idea what it's like to have people willing to follow you up o the gates of Hell!"_

_"Actually I have bit of an idea._ "

The double doors of the ballroom was fling wide open and there came the calvary in form of Bucky, Mick, Jax and Snart to the ballroom. Savage and his followers were startled to say the least. Bucky spotted Sara and Rip at the center along with Carter's body on the display.

"Let's get this party started!" Mick shouted with his heat gun ready to fire.

"Here's our invitation!" Leonard added while powering up his cold gun before firing at one of Savage's followers. Bucky ran to cut off the restraints while Jax tackled one of them down on the floor throwing punches. Mick and Snart lay fire from their respective weapons.

"Well, this is different. I didn't have him pegged as the "Eyes Wide Shut" type." Mick growled, burning a follower, turning him into toast.

"Did we catch you guys on a bad time?" Bucky quipped, using his hands to rip the restraints off Sara and Hunter without considerable effort. She shook her head with a smile.

"Not really." She got up and joined the fight with Bucky, throwing punches at anyone they come excluding their team mates. Rip fired lasers from his sixers back to back with Mick genuinely surprised that the trio of Snart, Jax and Mick appeared save James.

"You came!" Rip shouted continuing to fire from his sixer.

"We're a team! Next time, remember that!" Jax replied loudly over the commotion.

Infuriated over the interruption, Savage let out a enraged shout. "Enough!" He stood out from the table and took out a magical device, firing a laser beam that was bigger than Rip's. Similar to the staff of Horus Bucky and Sara used to defeat the immortal madman the first time in Central City. The team ducked under the table avoiding the laser.

"Get Carter's body out here!" Rip ordered, then turned to Sara next to him. "Sara!"

Understanding the subtle order, she got up snatching a knife from a knocked out follower. "I got this." Bucky gave her a hand as the assassins took on the Savage's scattering minions in hand to hand.

Mick and Jax carried Carter's body and headed out of the ballroom while Snart fired ice beams to keep Savage at bay, buying them time to escape. But a relentless Savage roared as he went to pound the floor with his weapon sending a blue shockwave that sent everyone flying across the room.

Bucky was the first to recover helping Sara up on his feet when Blake appeared in front of them. Upon seeing the man who sicked the dogs he fought in the elevator earlier, Bucky was going to swing his fist when Sara's hand was placed on his chest, stopping him in his tracks. "I got this."

"Are you sure?" Bucky asked Sara not taking his eyes of the traitor.

"Yeah. Head back to the ship." Sara reassured, Bucky nodded turning around to run back to the Wave Rider with Snart and co. Leaving Sara and Hunter with Savage and Blake left. He'd hoped that she knew what she was doing but he trusted her. That's all he could do.

-

As soon as Bucky got on board in the Waverider, the first thing he did was to check on Kendra in the Medbay. Kendra looked surprisingly well. Turned out that they managed to destroy the fragments inside her body by using Ray's suit. Risky but creative. All in all, he thought it was a good mission, mostly.

Bucky was waiting for Sara to be back in his room when the said Sara walked into it and sat next to Buck on his bed.

"How did it go with Blake? Did you kill him?" Bucky asked Sara hoping that her answer would be no.

To his surprise and relief, it was. "Nah. I was going to but I stopped myself thinking about what you said and thought to myself, you know what i'm gonna beat this."

Bucky smiled grateful that his words got through her thick skull. "Glad to hear it. It's like I told you, i'm with you until the end of the line." He told her reminding her of the last sentence that was mentioned 12 and half years ago.

-  
_**June 26 2003**_

_**Starling City** _

_"Now will you try to steer away from that idiot?" Bucky pleaded to Sara escorting her back to her home from the precinct. The charges were dropped with the condition that she should do community services for 120 days, a necessary compromise. "It's bad enough that I got the riot act from your dad about keeping you at arms length from the bad boys."_

_"No promises."_

_Bucky sighed, he should've been expecting the answer. But man she can be quite stubborn as her sister and her father. "Remember. If you need help, I'm a phone call away. I'm with you until the end of the line." He told her sincerely._

_-_

**_March 2016_ **

**_Star City_ **

**_Star City Courthouse_ **

_Laurel grimaced as she listened her father puking the contents out into one of the toilets at the restroom at the courthouse. Thanks to Darhk's threat to the jurors, the jury had decided to not convict Damien Darhk and Judge Balderrama had no other choice but dismiss the case completely due to the lack of substantial evidence and Damien Darhk walked out of the courtroom a free man._

_Quentin stumbled out of the stall looking a little green as he went to wash his hands and face. "Darhk is unstoppable. I'll never be safe as long as he's around." He said, completely deflated and that was unusual for him._

_"Don't talk like that, Dad." Laurel tried to reassure her father but even she had her own doubts that were put aside to ease her father's fears._

_But then an all too familiar voice spoke up behind them making the Lance's blood run cold. Damien Darhk._

_"You should listen to your father, Ms. Lance. He's got a point."_

_Both Quentin and Laurel were hit by tranquilizer darts and they passed out before they even had a chance to call Team Arrow for help._

_-_

_**Unknown Location.** _

 

_Quentin began to stir from tranquilizer dart as he regained his consciousness. He saw Laurel in a similar position as he was. they were in some grey room with a roof lamp shining on him, highlighting the grim situation they were in now._

_"Show me a hero and I'll write you a tragedy." Damien Darhk recited F Scott Fitzgerald entering the room through the only door, greeting SCPD Captain as an old friend. "A quote that has never been more befitting in this situation." He laughed sinisterly sending shivers down Quentin's spine._

_Laurel let out a groan as she woke up. Blinking her eyes to regain eyesight, she shrunk back in scare when she saw Damien Darhk in all it's glory. Black suit, the gleeful smile, the intimating posture. She was in trouble, big time._

 

_"Ah, Ms. Lance. Welcome back to the living." Damien addressed the Assistant D.A jovially. "I hope my associates hadn't been too rough on you." He chuckled manically._

_"What do you want?" Laurel sneered glaring resentfully. Damien went into deep thought about that, although he had a good idea why. He was just toying with them._

_"Well that is a good question, Ms. Lance or should I say Black Canary?" The Lance's eyes went wide as saucers when they heard that. How did he know? Her father never told him about how she spends her nights. "You look surprised. How did I figure it out your secret Identity when Daddy dearest didn't tell me? " Damien gestured to the stunned Police Captain who was rendered speechless. "Well, he didn't have to. It was just a series of events I put together as pieces of a puzzle. Get my drift? Pity." He sighed seeing the blank stares still hung up on how did he know about her alter ego._

_Damien began explaining to them of how he connected the dots walking. "It's pretty simple. Oliver Queen showed up as Tom Hanks lookalike after five years on his Cast Away adventures. A week later, the reports of the Arrow appeared who was operating in Star City for three years until he was exposed by Bane following his kidnapping of your father as Roy Harper who I doubt was the real Arrow. He looked too skinny and small. John Diggle who was the bodyguard of Oliver Queen is Spartan. It was pretty obvious, based on that hideous helmet of his. Speedy, lousy name by the way is Oliver Queen's sister Thea which brings me to her brother being the real Arrow. And of course you are the Black Canary who emerged after your little trip to Asia, last year in January." He told them. "And of course six months after the Outbreak, Green Arrow showed up right around the time Oliver Queen returned to Star City. But what made me really put the final dot about him as the Emerald Archer was when he rescued that boy William. That look on his face. It was a father's look. I should've recognized it there and then."_

_Once he was finished, he was left with looks of horror from both Quentin and Laurel of how he smoothly deduced Laurel and other's secret identities._

_"And now we get to the fun part." Damien Darhk declared, pulling out a gun. He's been wanting to do this for quite some time since his arrest. "Ms.Lance, nine months ago I made your Daddy a promise. I warned him of what I would do if he were to betray me." He recalled._

_Remembering the blood vow, Quentin shook his head vehemently. No, no, no. "No please! Don't! Kill me but not her! Take me!" Quentin begged to him but it seemed to fall on deaf ears._

_"Dad, no!" Laurel protested._

_"Oh I will get to you in a second, Captain." Darhk sneered to the SCPD Captain. "But first, I wanted to let you know this, Ms. Lance." He aimed his gun at her point blank at the chest. "That I am a man of my word."_

_Bang!_

_Laurel closed her eyes in fear as Damien Darhk pulled the trigger. A few seconds had passed before opening her eyes to see why the bullet hadn't gone through her only to wish that she hadn't as she saw her father lying on the ground with a bullet wound through his chest. He took the bullet for her._

_"DAD!!!! NO!!" She screamed in horror as she rushed over to him shaking his unmoving body to wake him up but it didn't work. He died protecting her and it was on her. It was all her fault. If she hadn't made that call, he'd still be alive._

_Damien took a few steps back in near shock. He did not expect that outcome.  Damien took a few steps back in near shock. He did not expect that outcome. He then sighed in vexation. "I was so looking forward of fulfilling my promise. Well, you can't have everything." He muttered, throwing his hands in air._ _Damien then left the room as Laurel let out a wail of anguish, tears running down her cheeks while mourning the loss of her father._

_-_

 

**_March 28_ **

**2 hours later.**

_"Another decent cop dead in this damn city." Frank thought to himself as he saw the coroner sealing the body bag that contained Quentin Lance on a stretcher as it was being loaded into the van. Two hours ago, a distraught Laurel Lance called 911 and reported murder of her father. Soon after the call had ended, the SCPD arrived at the scene and found Laurel cradling her late father's body with tears streaming down her cheeks._

_"He played us like a damn fiddle, Frank. " Sgt Evans said, Pike huffed._

_"He did. Damien Darhk knew he was going to be caught. He knew that Quentin would be his daughter's star witness."_

_**Arrowcave** _

**_"It is with deep sorrow and regret that I am here to inform you that last night at 11:30 PM, Star City Police Captain Quentin Lance was found murdered outside of the Glades following the kidnapping of Captain Lance himself and his daughter, the assistant district attorney Laurel Lance. The assailant who shot Captain Lance has been identified as Damien Dark who has been alleged to lead the Ghost. Mr. Darhk is on the run and is considered to be armed and extremely dangerous."_ **

_There was a solemn silence at the Arrowcave just two hours after the announcement of Quentin's death at the hands of Damien Darhk. Oliver, Thea, Felicity and John were very quiet, unsure of what to do now._

_Oliver decided then to leave the Bunker as he grabbed his jacket from the chair and headed to the elevator._

_"Oliver, please..." Felicity began her plead only for her ex boyfriend to whirl back at her exploding at her in anger._

_"No! We tried it your way!" Oliver snapped before turning back on her and walked out, leaving the others staring at him in silence as Felicity slumped in defeat._

 


	8. White Knight Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the death of her Father Laurel struggles to come to terms with it while Bucky and others breaks into Pentagon.

 

**_28 March 2016_ **

**_Star City_ **

_Laurel was sitting on the hospital bed, staring at the wall with a blank stare the following day in her room at Starling General. The tears had stopped but the sorrow in her eyes hadn't faded away. Why? Why is she the one who has to suffer the tragedies? Tommy, Sara and now her father. Even though she hadn't suffered any physical injuries, she was still being evaluated for trauma. As if she hadn't enough of it already._

_"That's the thing of Dark Magic, Laurel. There's always consequences. Always."_

_The words of Oliver scolding her for her irresponsible actions rang through her head when he found out about Sara's resurrection._

_"Ma'am. You ok?" A nurse had stopped by her room and went to check on Laurel with concern._

_"No." Laurel mumbled, barley audible._

_"What happened to you?" Nurse Smith asked._

_"Life."_

-

**_1986_ **

**_Washington DC_ **

"Rip tell me why I'm baby sitting Snart and Ray again?" Bucky asked playing the part as janitor with Ray and Snart in the Pentagon.

They were now in 1986 which was at the peak of the Cold War between the Soviets and U.S.  Rip told them that Gideon had found a clue that could potentially help them find the next likely location of Savage. The clue was a telefax that Gideon intercepted a telefax. Unfortunately there was one problem and that one problem was telefax had redacted most of it's report. so Rip decided to retrieve the original file inside the Pentagon. Bucky opted to steal it by himself but Rip wrongly pointed out that his cybernetic arm will not pass the metal detector which is bogus and before he even had a chance to counter that argument, Rip already handed out tasks to everyone much to his disappointment. "You know I could easily get in and out of Pentagon with a paperclip and a flashlight."

"Can you?" Ray asked curiously while looking up.

"I was being sarcastic Ray." Bucky replied.

"Focus, gentlemen." Rip chided, annoyed in their communication devices. Snart smirked of how easily he gets vexed over simple thing. "Now, the file we're after is kept in a secure records room. In order to gain access, we're going to need to, uh, borrow a magnetic key card."

"Because this is so much easier than just shrinking down and stealing it." Ray muttered scrubbing the mop with a mop, pouting like a child.

"Welcome to the world of espionage." Bucky said, reminding the tech billionaire of his enthusiasm of being a spy like James Bond earlier before the mission started.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Leonard saw a female officer heading their way presumably carrying the keycard. "Let me show you how it's done... old school."

In a quick session, Snart dropped the mop tripping the officer that was passing him by and before she could hit the floor, Snart caught her by the waist. Leonard Snart, the gentleman thief. "You okay, ma'am?"

Flustered, the female officer stammered her apology. "I wasn't watching where I was going." Snart twirled her back onto her feet. "Thank you."

"Just doing my job." Snart drawled as the lady straightened her hat and walked away. The moment she was out sight, Snart held up a security keycard from his pocket.

"Smooth." Bucky said impressed by his skills. Second later, Snart held up the lady's wallet causing him to chortle a chuckle.

"Really? We're trying to save the world and you're lifting wallets?" Ray asked in disbelief.

"It's called multitasking." Snart said looking at the contents before, putting it inside his pocket as he was passing the card subtly to Sara who was heading to the records room with Kendra in their uniforms. Ray, Bucky and Snart were all waiting for the signal as they listened into the comms.

"The Records room has closed circuit cameras. We need a diversion." Rip informed the team of their next phase.

"Someone called my name?" Mick spoke.

"We got the file." Sara reported.

"Okay, now for the tricky part. All personnel are subject to search upon exiting the Pentagon. Firestorm will divert the power long enough for you to exit."

Just then the alarm rang throughout the Pentagon which was their cue to leave right now courtesy of Firestorm. Bucky and Snart headed straight towards the exit with a hesitant Ray following them.

"Wait about the rest of team? Shouldn't we help them?" Ray asked.

"Nothing we can do, Raymond. We did our part. Now, let's get out of here." Snart replied.

-

Ray, Snart, Rip and Bucky were all waiting for the rest of the team and when they did, they were arguing amongst themselves, laying the blame of who screwed up the mission. It was neither Jax or Kendra. It could go either way. It was becoming a normal occurrence.

"Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, let's focus on the positive." Ray said, trying to diffuse the tension between the talkative group.

"What positive? We screwed up." Bucky pointed out rather bluntly and it continued the blame game among the group until Rip had enough of them.

"Enough." Rip chided. "There is plenty of blame to go around."

"And that blame goes to you too, because that wasn't much of a plan to begin with." Bucky said. He tried to tell Hunter but did he listen? No.

"I beg you pardon?"

"We didn't need Kendra for this mission because she's still grieving from losing Carter not long ago." Bucky told Rip point blank.

"What?!" Kendra exclaimed, not believing what her ears were hearing.

"Buck's right, Rip." Sara agreed. "We would've been fine if Big Bird hadn't flapped her big wings out during the check up."

"Excuse me?!"

Rip sighed sharply while pinching the bridge of his nose as he was looking up to the ceiling. He's beginning to see the reason why the time masters preferably work alone because all of this was giving him a migraine.

Snart and Mick looked impressed at the balls James have for calling the captain out.

"Nonetheless, you should be all grateful that Defense Department are used to keep the incidents under wraps such as this." Rip said trying to bring them back to the main topic at hand. "And while we are on the subject, I would like to inform you lot that Gideon was able to generate a low end EMP to erase all Pentagon's magnetic media."

"Like security footage?" Ray asked amazed.

"Precisely, Dr. Palmer. Like security footage." Rip deadpanned.

"Our tax dollars at work." Bucky quipped, Sara snorted while Snart smirked at the common knowledge.

"Gideon, any luck with our purloined secret file?" Rip questioned the AI, mentally pleading that it found something useful from the original file. "Please say yes."

"Yes, Captain. According to the Pentagon, Savage has defected to the Soviet Union." Gideon informed the team which made everyone tense.

"So the most powerful evil the world has ever known has just gone red at the height of the Cold War. " Stein mused.

"And now he's gonna help them cook up something that kills the future." Ray said.

"Gideon, set a course... for the Soviet Union." Rip commanded.

-  
**_6 April 2016_**

**_Star City_ **

_For the past week she's been in complete denial of her father's death. She hasn't answered anyone's calls from Felicity, Oliver, John or Thea for that matter. She was gonna bring her father back from the dead one way or another. Thea broke up with Alex a few weeks ago after Ruve won the election, despite being cured of the bloodlust. It wasn't that she cared for him. It's just... he wasn't Roy Harper._

_Laurel wished Bucky was here with her to comfort her. In fact he was the one who convinced her to tell her father about Sara's death a year and half ago right away instead of keeping it a secret from him. Sure her father cried and grieved for losing Sara again but at least he heard it from her and not from anybody else. Unfortunately though thanks to Bane who was a member of the League forced Captain Lance during his captivity to remove the mask of the Arrow revealing to be Roy Harper who had taken Oliver's place on Live TV forcing him on the run. He felt so guilt ridden of what he's done which was why Damien Darhk was able to get his cooperation so easily._

_"Did you really believe that you would not suffer the consequences of your reckless actions, Safarat al'iindhar?" (The Siren)_

_Freezing in horror she slowly turned around to see him. The Demons Head. But he can't be here._

_"Ra's Al Ghul." Laurel breathed._

_"I told you I was immortal." Ras said._

_"I watched you die." She remembered seeing him get killed by Oliver on the empty road during the Outbreak._

_"Oh There are many forms of immortality." Ras replied. "My daughter warned you. You cannot disrupt the fragile balance between life and death. You have played with forces beyond your comprehension and your father has paid the very high price. You cannot save him."_

_Shaking her head vigorously, Laurel wasn't gonna accept it. "No! There has to be a way to bring him back! With everything I've seen, there has to be!"_

_Ras chuckled. "I admire your passion, Safarat al'iindhar. But I fear that his time had come to end." (The Siren)_

_Laurel didn't like that as Ras took another step. His words cut through her like a hot butter knife. "And speaking of time, for the past decade, you have fought the decadence of Star City. Despite all your strength, all your moral authority, the only victory that you ever achieved was a lie."_

_"No." Laurel said not wanting to hear his harsh words, although it was nothing but the truth._

_"Now you understand. Why Star City is beyond saving along with your Father."_

_"No." Laurel whimpered, her eyes brimming with tears._

_"Why it must be allowed to die!"_

_"NOOO!!!"_

 


	9. White Knight Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon arriving at the Old Soviet Union, the team soon discovers of what Savage is doing during the peak of the Cold War where disaster awaits.

**White Knight Part 2**

**-**

Bucky and Sara were playing Go Fish in his room after the Waverider made the time to the Soviet union when suddenly the ship pulled the breaks throwing them off the bed onto the floor back first.

Groaning while rubbing her lower back, Sara went to ask the Artificial Intelligence as she was being brought back on her feet by Bucky. "Gideon, what the hell's just happened?"

_"We are being pursued by Chronos."_

"Boba Fett's here?" Sara inquired glancing at Bucky in worry.

_"Yes and Captain Hunter has initiated emergency landing protocol. And by emergency, he is going to crash land the ship."_

"Ah, hell." Bucky muttered.  
_-_

The ship had just landed roughly on the outskirts of mountains in the old Soviet Union following their escape of Chronos who was now being pursed by the Soviet Air force. Ray, Jax, Snart and Rip were all strapped safely at their safes whilst Mick, Kendra, Stein, Bucky and Sara weren't so lucky.

"Welcome to the U. S. S. R., gentlemen." Rip announced.

Stein entered the bridge with Bucky and Sara who were a bit ruffled by the crash. Sara more than Bucky due to his enhanced endurance. Stein held the file in his hands.

"If it were up to me, they would revoke your pilot's license." Stein said looking at the Captain critically.

"They are more than welcome to, considering I don't have one." Rip admitted.

"That explains it." Bucky muttered. "Next time I'm taking the pilot's seat."

"And I'll be his co pilot." Sara added.

"Did you get anything on Savage from the Pentagon file?" Rip asked ignoring the quips as they all gathered around the console looking at the file they retrieved from the Pentagon.

"It appears our friend has been quite busy since we last saw him." Stein mused.

"Savarog?" Bucky enquired looking at the code name on the first page in puzzlement. "Isn't that the name of the God of fire in Slavic mythology?"

"That is correct. How did you know?" Stein questioned, a bit surprised that the former army soldier knew. Bucky smiled proudly thinking back to his perfect GPA before he got enlisted.

"I guess you could say that I was the perfect student back in high school." Bucky said proudly

"More like an overachiever." Sara hid the quip with a cough. Bucky frowned at the blonde assassin.

"Anyhow, uh, from what i've been able to gather, it is a secret project the Soviets are working on and considering Savage's involvement, most likely some sort of weapon." Stein informed the team of what he'd understood by reading the file in his room.

Ray picked up the file and saw a picture of a attractive brunette attached at the top of the file. "Valentina Vostok. Graduated top of her physics program and then just dropped out of academia." He read the biography of Savage's top leading scientist.

"To help develop Savage's new weapon, no doubt." Stein guessed the correct assumption.

"The Cold War's up for grabs, and Miss Vostok is the linchpin."

"I say we put two in the back of her head and call it a day." Snart suggested the obvious option. But Ray didn't want to for go it.

"We have no idea who this woman is or what her effect may be on history. She may be the next Madame Curie for all we know." Ray argued.

"She's working for Savage. That's all we need to know." Snart pointed it out. Bucky agreed with the thief on that one.

"She probably has no idea who's backing her research." Ray said. "Just let me approach her as a scientist, and we'll see what she knows about Savage's weapon's program."

That's a possibly but Bucky doubted that she was being kept in the dark, especially by Savage. "Ray. It's 1986, you're an American and she'll have you marked as a spy within seconds." Bucky pointed it out the obvious flaw in his idea.

"Perhaps I can help with that." Rip spoke up carrying a box of green pills that he took from his office a few moments ago and placed it on the console. "Ingestible translators. They attach to your larynx via neural interface. Swallow them you can speak and understand any language spoken to you. "

Interest peaked, Stein, Ray and Snart took a pill each and swallowed them simultaneously.

"How how do you turn it on?" Stein inquired.

"Gideon? Switch them into Russian." Rip commanded the Timeship's AI before looking at Ray expectantly. "Go on. Say something."

 _"I-I don't know what to say. "_ Ray stuttered unsure for a moment before realizing that he wasn't speaking in his native language in astonishment seconds later. He was speaking Russian. _"Wait, I'm still speaking English? I'm speaking Russian now, aren't I?"_

 _"Yes, you do."_ Bucky replied that made Ray look back at him stunned, while Stein started count all the pills that had not been indigested.

 _"I already speak fluent Russian along with German, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, and everything else."_ Bucky revealed making Ray's eye go wide.

 _"Now you both are annoying in multiple languages."_ Snart drawled, also speaking in Russian.

"Gideon, switch him back to English." Rip commanded, Gideon did just that. "Now, according to Vostok's file, she's a big fan of the ballet."

"She has box seats at the Bolshoi and attends every performance. It seems the final performance of "Le Roi Candaule" is today." Gideon informed. Rip issued out his assignments to three men he'd thought that would be the best candidates.

"Dr. Palmer, you will engage Vostok at the ballet." Rip told Ray before turning his eyes to both Bucky and Snart. "Mr. Snart, Mr. Barnes, you're going to be his wingmen."

"Oy." Snart exclaimed in protest.

Ray picked up the file to read more about Valentina Vostok as he was heading to his room. "Better go bone up on Vostok's CV. "

"I guess we'll bone up on the ballet." Snart said.

-

**1986**

**Moscow**

It was a cold winter evening in the capital of the old U.S.S.R. Bucky, Ray and Snart were amongst the crowd as they were patiently waiting outside of the theatre for Vostok.

"I got eyes on Vostok." Bucky reported seeing their dark haired person of interest wearing a red gown exiting the building as she went for a smoke. Despite knowing who her employer was, Bucky had to admit, she was hot. "She's headed straight for you, Ray, over."

"All right, gentlemen. Everything's looking good from my end. Proceed." Rip informed them that the mission was a go.

Wiping the sweat off his palms, Ray awkwardly introduced himself by his fake name to Dr. Vostok as he walked up to her. "Ms. Vostok. Simon Huntsberger, University of Moscow physics department." Ray took out a lighter from his pocket and held it up for her cigarette.

Looking at him blankly, she blew out the small flame coldly. "I'm not interested in talking to student. If you want lecture, come by office hours."

Not to be deterred by the cold rejection, Ray kept on going by showing her his charming smile as he put the lighter back in his pocket. "I'm actually a fellow scientist. I read your paper on applied physics and nuclear fusion. Perhaps, if you allow me to take you to dinner, we can discuss in detail."

She rolled her eyes and walked away from a somewhat frustrated Ray.

"Damn, that was cold, even by Russian standards." Snart told him as he and Bucky walked over to him.

"Yep." Bucky replied occurring with the thief. He'd never seen someone decline an offer so brutal. "Maybe you should let one of us take your place."

Ray ignored the clear and obvious solution, leaving the two men as he went over to her.

"You or me?" Snart asked Bucky as they saw Ray wasn't going nowhere by the annoyed look that Valentina had by listening Ray's futile attempts to sway her and the fact he was gonna screw it up again.

"She's all yours." Bucky replied, Snart smirked as he went to fix another of many Ray's mess.

"Sorry, is this man bothering you?" Snart asked coming to her rescue as he escorted Valentina away from Ray.

"Don't trouble yourself. I'm not a damsel in distress." Valentina told him.

He'd figured as much. "Good, because I'm not a white knight."

Patting the shoulder of a deflated Ray, Bucky stood next to him watching Snart chatting with Vostok about the ballet before she prompted Snart for a walk back to her apartment. "Well, You tried at least. That's gotta count for something."

-

Ray and Bucky were tailing both Snart and Vostok who was now wearing Snart's coat from a safe distance. They had removed their comms a while ago so that they wouldn't . Ray and Bucky were surprised when Vostok went to kiss Snart before walking away from him back home.

"You enjoy the show, boys?" Snart asked his teammates, looking over his shoulder once Vostok was out of sight.

"I think I've got frostbite in some not-so-fun places from waiting out here." Ray told him as they joined Snart. "Did she tell you what kind of weapon Savage is building?"

Snart shrugged. "Didn't come up. Such a romantic evening I didn't want to spoil the mood. "

"So other a steamy good night kiss and a possible case of hypothermia, we've got nothing." Ray muttered frustrated over it. Snart smirked as he lifted a ID badge from his pocket holding it up for them to see.

"I wouldn't say that." Snart reassured them that he hadn't forgotten the mission. "It's Valentina's security badge for a place called Luskavic Labs. Whatever weapon she's building for Savage, we'll find it there."

"I guess I should just be happy you didn't swipe her wallet. " Ray quipped, Snart smirked holding Vostok's wallet up, much to Ray's chagrin and Bucky's amusement.

-

**Waverider**

"Hey how did it go with taming the Hawk?" Bucky asked Sara as he entered the said Sara's room after giving Rip a debrief of what the trio had learned where she was working.

Sara scoffed sulking over a moment where she snapped, during her training session with Kendra. She told Rip that wasn't a good idea but did he listen? No, he didn't. "Swell."

"Not good, I take it." Bucky guessed.

"Nowhere near it." Sara admitted.

Bucky sighed, taking a seat next to her. He had an idea of what went wrong. "What happened?"

"Blood lust." Sara gave Bucky the obvious answer. Bucky looked at her sympathetically while squeezing her hand softly with his metal one for comfort.

"Mr. Barnes. Captain Hunter requests of your presence at the bridge. He has a new mission for you."

Sighing in resignation hearing the tone of Gideon's voice that left him no chance of turn down the request, Bucky looked at Sara who hasn't stopped moping. "Wanna come?"

She shook her head no. "I'll stay put."

Knowing the reason why already, Bucky nodded, respecting her wishes as he left the room heading to the direction of where the main bridge was at.

-

Bucky crawled out of the vents as he entered the research facility that Vostok was working in. Stein had gained access to the labs by using Dr. Vostok's security badge and now was in the containment unit looking for clue. It was a simple recon mission where Stein was gonna infiltrate and find out about Operation Svarog. Bucky was gonna be his shadow in case Stein were to be compromised while Snart, Ray and Mick were their tails.

"I'm inside. Did you find anything in the basement professor?" Bucky asked the astrophysicist on the communications device plugged into his ear.

_"I haven't had much fortune in that department i'm afraid. But from the information I've been able to gather by looking into those files, it seems Dr. Vostok is attempting to create some kind of biological implant or mutation. Nothing of any...Oh my god."_

Hearing the horrified tone in Stein's voice. Bucky went to ask the professor of what he just found. "What is it?"

"I think I know what Vostok is working on." Stein revealed, stunning Bucky. That was fast.

"Huh?"

"For the past decade since our encounter with Savage, he's been trying to build me. Operation Svarog: Slavic god of fire, of course!"

The wheel started to turn in his head as he was beginning to see Stein's epiphany and he did not like it. "Wait, are you telling me what I think you're trying to tell me, professor?" He inquired hoping that Stein wouldn't say yes to his question although he suspected it would be.

 _"Unfortunately yes, Mr. Barnes. Vostok and Savage are trying to build a Soviet Firestorm."_  
-

Following the shocking revelation, Stein discovered that Savage had managed to build a thermal core. The same one that created the first Firestorm. He opted himself to remove it from the reactor. Rip objected to the idea, reminding the professor that they were on a reconnaissance mission but Stein wasn't gonna leave the facility with out it. So Ray and Snart snuck into the control room knocking out a nearby guard on their way. Ray was going to shut down the core so that Stein can remove it safely . But there was a problem. The problem being Valentina Vostok as Bucky saw her on the other side..

"Guys, we have a problem. I just saw Dr. Vostok heading to the containment unit, over." Bucky reported.

 _"Oh, no."_ Ray murmured seeing her as well over the comm link. " _The radiation Stein's about to unleash...if she opens the door..."_

"Ray, we're to stop Savage from replicating Stein's Firestorm formula." Bucky reminded him.

 _"Saving some commie broad ain't on the agenda."_ Snart added, not caring about Dr. Vostok either.

_"Even if the radiation doesn't kill her, Savage will, the second he finds out the lab's been sabotaged."_

Bucky sighed, realizing that Ray was right. "Fine. I'll keep her distracted while you help Stein shut down the core." He told them.

 _"You're willing to risk the mission for a woman you barely know?"_ Snart asked surprised.

"Come on, Snart. We both know that Ray won't stop nagging us into he get what he wants." Bucky said knowingly. Snart sighed in defeat seeing James's point.

_"30 seconds."_

-

Valentina Vostok was just about to walk down the stairs when Bucky appeared behind her grabbing her by the waist as he put his hand on her mouth, keeping her from screaming.

 _"Twitch and i'll open your throat. Am I clear?"_ Bucky warned coldly in Russian, sending chills down the female scientist's spine. Vostok quickly nodded in fear of her life.

_"Good. Are there anyone following you?"_

With a shake of her head in response, Bucky looked past the Russian to see Ray using the control panel to shut down the core offline. Perfect. _"Now. You stay there and don't move."_ Bucky released her and went to check on his allies when Vostok pulled out a gun on him, catching Bucky off guard.

_"No it is you who don't get to move."_

"Son of a bitch." Bucky snarled.

-  
"Guys we have a slight problem." Bucky called out as he was being led by Valentina into the control room with his hands raised up. Upon seeing him with a gun pointed to his skull, Snart powered up his cold gun aiming at her while Ray stared wide eyed at the scene before him.

"This is your friends I presume yes?" Vostok inquired.

Bucky snorted, friends don't even fit that description. "Hardly friends, doctor. More like acquaintances."

She pressed the barrel of the gun into the back of the head. "Drop the gun, turn the core back online, or I will put a bullet in his skull."

"Don't listen to her guys, she's gonna shoot me regardless." Bucky warned, shaking his head at Snart to not drop the cold gun.

"That may be true, and you can take that gamble if you like." She dared the two men that were at the control panel. "It's only his life you wager."

"Don't do it, guys. Don't you dare do it!"

Unfortunately, Snart dropped the cold gun on the floor and raised his hands up in surrender, assuming the prison guards were already on their way. "Raymond turn the core back on."

Defeated, Ray went to do as he was told, turning the thermal reactor back on.

 _"Raymond, what's going on? The core just went back online."_ Stein inquired, perplexed.

"Sorry, Professor, I had to do it." Ray told Stein apologetically.

"Idiots!" Bucky hissed, cursing inwardly.

 _"I can still remove it. I just hope I can absorb the excess power."_ Stein proclaimed.

"No! Do you have any idea the kind of energy that..." Ray was knocked out by the butt of a rifle by a guard who just entered the control room along with the other guards surrounding Snart.

"Should've listened to your friend."

-

On the lower level, Professor Stein stumbled out of the reactor with the core stashed in a briefcase, weakened by the amount of radiation he absorbed when a squad of guards showed up. The professor held it tightly at the rifles pointing at him.

Snarling like a ticked off wolf as in one quick move, Bucky turned around grabbing Vostok's wrist with his metal hand, twisting it with a crack, she dropped her handgun allowing Bucky to take it with his fleshy hand and put three bullets into the guards heads. He used his foot to lift up the cold gun giving it back to Snart, who expertly took it and fired a ice blast to the main guard throwing him backwards. Bucky used the butt of the gun, knocking the scientist out.

"This where the party's at!" Mick shouted as he appeared from nowhere on the railway, unleashing fire from his heatgun, burning a few guards up. He relished it.

Bucky fired at some guards as well before running out of the control room.

_"Mr.Barnes, can you hear me? Do not let Vostok leave with that thermal core."_

"Roger that!!" Bucky complied to Rip's command as he jumped off the railway and landed on the lower level to retrieve the briefcase containing the thermal core whilst Mick and Smart were keeping the guards busy, protecting him. Once he took it he went behind the reactor seeing Stein being dragged away as well as Mick being shot in the shoulder giving the guards the go ahead to overwhelm him and capture him.

"Now might be a good time to send in reinforcements!" Snart shouted into his ear communicator as he joined Bucky behind the reactor. "Mick and Stein just got pinched by the Russkies."

_"You're gonna have to get out of there right now." Rip informed them._

"They're hanging us out to dry, Rip. We need backup." Snart protested.

_"I'm afraid our only option is retreat."_

"What about my partner?"

"There is nothing we can do for Mick, Ray or Stein, Leonard!" Bucky shouted over the bullets flying, He returned the fire with the rifle he'd snatched from a dead guard. "If we don't get the core out of here now, We're gonna lose the Cold War to the Soviets! What's gonna be?!"

Swearing a few curse words under his breath, Leonard took the lead with Bucky trailing behind as they both bolted the hell out of the lab.

-

Bucky was pissed. That was for sure once he was back on the Waverider with an equally pissed off Leonard Snart with the briefcase as he punched Rip. Again.

Bucky grabbed Rip by the coat and hoisting him up in air, eyes showing uncontrolled anger, scaring the english man slightly. "Half of our team is behind bars, thanks to you! Do you even understand what you've done!"

"It was never my intention to have them locked up in a gulag!" Rip argued his case. "But please try to see reason, Mr. Barnes. If I had sent the other half of our team to save Dr. Palmer, Professor Stein and Mr. Rory, Savage would not only have the other half of Firestorm, but a dead Kendra on top of a dead Carter, everything he wants. It would be the end of our little crusade and no doubt the world. So before even you consider swinging your fist again, ask yourself: What would you've done?"

He did in his mind and he did not like it because Hunter was right. But he was still pissed off. "You are a cold hearted son of a bitch, you know that?" Bucky sneered. "When I was in the Army, the regulations states that a soldier leaves no man behind. We are going to save them."

"And we will." Rip said firmly. Bucky let him go, slightly reassured that they'll save their compatriots and stop the immortal mad man from creating the Soviet Firestorm.

"Good. Because If we don't, I'm gonna step by your office later and you better believe me when I say this: There won't be any talking."

-

 

 


	10. I'm gonna kill him.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurel makes a impulsive vow which could yield disastrous results.

**I'm gonna kill him**

_**Star City April 2016.** _

_Numbness. That was all Laurel could feel right now. Numb over the fact her father gave up his own life to save hers and the fact that it was Andy, John's own brother who tipped Damien Darhk off about the deal the SCPD captain made with the District attorney Nemz and blackmailed the jury into not convicting Darhk. How did she find out about this? Felicity caught him by using the CCTV cameras, he was seen outside the D.A.'s office making a phone call to Damien Darhk the day he agreed to testify. He's been a double agent. Diggle was pissed and rightfully so. He also felt immense guilt of that a police captain, a father died on his watch. Diggle wondered how the hell could he be so blind? Oliver reassured him that they all have blind spots when it comes to family. He knows it better than anyone._

_"You ok?" Oliver asked concered as he was standing by her right side._

_"Are you?" Laurel hissed, showing contempt towards the man who had a hand in her father's death. "I know what I'm gonna do now. I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch."_

_Oliver closed his eyes while letting out a big sigh of resignation. He figured that it would her reaction. Just as her reaction when Sara was killed last year in which she left Star City to travel to Asia to become Black Canary a year and half ago. And the truth was he was going to help her doing it. He tried to do the right way, but it didn't work. Damien Darhk proved to be too dangerous to live by escaping from SCPD and killed Quentin right in front of Laurel. He's gonna pay for what he's done._

_-_

_Laurel was hitting the punching bag hard letting her anger out at the training area in Arrowcave wearing her work out clothing. All she could think about was how her father must've felt when he took that bullet meant for her. Did he felt regret of his part of getting in bed with Darhk? Did he regret shunning her mother and herself after The Gambit got shipwrecked? She didn't know and she was never going to find out._

_"What on earth did that bag do to you, Sis?"_

_She stopped suddenly, slowly turning to see her little sister standing next to where her Black Canary suit was stored. "Sara?"_

_"You're seriously gonna go through with this, are ya?" Sara stared at her as if it was the most absurd idea that she ever heard. "Killing Darhk? That's not the Laurel I once knew."_

_Realizing that Sara was just a figment of her imagination, Laurel returned to the punching bag ignoring her voice. "That was then, this is now. I'm not that naive girl who graduated from Law School anymore."_

_"Maybe so but the Laurel I know wouldn't resort to cold blooded murder. That's my specialty or was."_

_"Well, you haven't been here the last four months, so you're not in the position to judge!!" Laurel snapped, reminding the imagined Sara that she was with the Legends with Bucky. "Dad died! To save me. Andy, John's brother tipped Darhk off about the deal Dad made with the D.A.'s office and broke him out of jail. And I couldn't save him."_

_"So in an attempt to make up for not saving Daddy, you thought that "Hey if court can't convict him in court, why not kill him?" Sara said sarcastically. "That would solve a lot of problems except it doesn't."_

_Laurel scoffed as she continued to hit the punching bag. "You don't understand."_

_"Yes I do. I've been here." Sara said knowingly. "I know what killing does to you. It changes you. How it tears pieces of your soul until there's nothing left. You've been through enough tragedies to last a lifetime. If you kill Darhk, it's gonna push you over the edge."_

_"The only difference between me and you, Sara, is that you killed because you were trained to do." Laurel declared strongly. "Me? I want to kill because I have to, he's too dangerous to live. And trust me, once I find the bastard, he's a dead man."_

_-_

_**Four days Later** _

_**Arrowcave** _

_"Quentin Larry Lance, may you rest in peace."_

_Putting the half fingered boxing gloves on her hands in workout outfit, Laurel was about to take out her frustrations and anger on the heavy bag back in Arrowcave, two days after her father's funeral. All day she had listened to how sorry her father's were for her loss and sending their deepest condolences to her. But that all meant nothing to her._

_Despite the fact that Damien Darhk was the most wanted man in Star City at the moment, there were no current clues that indicated the location of Darhk which was frustrating for Team Arrow. But a day later, Frank called her telling her that the CSI team had found her father's cellphone in his apartment with a video message. He handed it to her who in return handed it to Felicity hoping that it would be something important._

_She started to throw some quick jabs on the bag before throwing some haymakers in a steady pace._

_-_

_Diggle was looking solemnly at the photo of himself, Andy and Carly at their wedding in his apartment. It seemed a lifetime ago when that photo was taken during their wedding ceremony and now that picture is a constant reminder of what he'd done. He killed his own brother in cold blood._

_-_

_Laurel quickened the pace as she started to throw punches at the bag, her mind wandering back to her father's last moments where he took the bullet for her._

_-_

_Felicity sat on her couch eating mint chip sadly at the loft. She's just been voted out of the board at Palmer tech which compounded all the bad things that happened to her in a spam of a few weeks._

_-_

_Laurel was beginning to hit the bag hard when she was thinking about the man who ruined the lives of her father and friends in the past year._

_-_

_Oliver Queen looked out to the ocean grimly thinking about taking the high road had resulted in the death of Quentin Lance. He tried to be better, tried to do the right way but in the end it hasn't gotten well. He's been in the gray area for too long to change. He realized it too late._

_-_

_Laurel struck the bag with ferocity, swinging left and right hooks as she was pushing her body to the limit when her cellphone ringed, stopping her from the continuation of beating the bag to oblivion. taking a moment to breathe before answering the call._

_"Laurel Lance." Laurel said still breathing heavily, beads of sweat were dripping down her forehead onto the floor._

_"Laurel, Lyla here." Lyla replied. "I know this isn't a good time to call you after your father's funeral but I think I got a possible lead on Darhk."_

_"How?" Laurel queried, taking a huge gulp of water from the water bottle._

_"A CIA contact informed me that a flight ticket to Barcelona was purchased online by Milo Armitage, a businessman who's alleged to be a high ranking member of HIVE. He's gonna board the plane set to leave Star City today." Lyla told her._

_"Where's he staying?" Laurel questioned, hoping that it would be the big breakthrough._

_"I'm texting you the address. If you can catch him before he boards the plane..."_

_"He might tell me what Darhk is up to now." Laurel finished realizing that she might have the chance of finding Darhk. "Thank you, Lyla."_

_"Hey, after what your father did to save you...It's the least I can do for you, Laurel. " Lyla told her sincerely before ending the call. Laurel got notified of a text message she got from Lyla. She read the message that contained the address of the hotel that Milo was staying at this moment of time._

_Hochman Hotel. Kanigher Street._

_"You're really going through this, are you?" Laurel sighed hearing the voice of her father standing behind her as she went to change into putting on her Black Canary suit. "Killing Damien Darhk? That's not how I raised you."_

_"If this is an attempt of trying to persuade me from not killing him, don't bother." Laurel said, not even sparing her father a glance. "Besides, I got an advantage. Darhk's rusty in terms of hand to hand combat from what Oliver told me so I need to hit him quick and hard before he even throws a punch. And he's not as young as he used to be."_

_"You're too mad to think straight just like I was four years ago when Queen came back." Quentin said, seeing some of his negative traits shown in his daughter. "Laurel... Please. It's not who you are. It's gonna get you killed."_

_"Should've thought of that when you shut me and Mom out when Sara went missing." Laurel retorted, putting on the black gloves before zipping her jacket up. "And when you got into bed with Darhk last year, so spare me the lecture." She left the batons still stored because she doesn't need them. Not when what's about to come. The main event._

_"Laurel. Please. Your mother didn't just leave you. She left me too."_

_"If you're trying to get some sympathy from me, forget it." Laurel said ignoring the ghost of her father as she put on her eye mask back in Arrowcave. He was starting to get on her nerves when he mentioned his ex wife who was her mother._

_"She left us because she knew that you and I were too much alike. Throwing ourselves at work, blaming others for the tragedies that we went through." Quentin said regretfully for what he did 10 years ago and reminding Laurel of her downward spiral after Tommy died in the Undertaking._

_"So it's my fault?" Laurel asked sarcastically._

_"Can you be honest with yourself for two seconds?" Quentin inquired. "You put on that mask because it makes you feel alright with who you really are. It let you hurt people and makes you feel that it's for something important. Something good."_

_The ghost of Quentin Lance faded away and was replaced with Damien Darhk. "Maybe even in the name of justice. But that's not the truth and we both know it." The taunting voice of Darhk made her blood boil when she heard it. "You and your father are cut from the same cloth. A cop who was going to stop at nothing to close a case and his daughter who is constantly trying to convince herself that she's better than her drunk father. You were born from nothing and you will remain nothing."_

_Roaring out in anger as she had enough of her father's murderer, Laurel went to punch the man repeatedly, beating him bloody to the point he was on his knees. She went behind him and snapped his neck with a cry._

_But that sweet death was just in her mind as she stared blankly at the mannequin, now wearing her full Black Canary suit before she headed to the exit of the Arrowcave to interrogate Milo Armitage._

**_XXXX_ **

 

 

 

 


	11. Dying Declaration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurel is determined to find Damien Darhk.  
> Team Arrow discovers something that could be crucial as they search for clues.

**_Star City_ **

**_May 2016_ **

_Milo Armitage was scared. For a good reason.  he had to book a plane out of Star City because Milo feared that if Darhk found about his plan to continue Operation Genesis without him with the rest of the Hive leaders, he was dead._

_So as he was about exit his hotel suite heading to the airport, he came to face to face with Black Canary with a hardened glare._

_"Hello, Mr. Armitage." Black Canary greeted, Milo gasped in horror before darkness consumed him._

_-_

_A dark bag was removed off Armitage's head and he found himself cuffed on a rooftop of a building in the Glades. Black Canary stood in front of him with a pissed off look._

_"Where is Damien Darhk?" Black Canary demanded. Milo scoffed despite the unfortunate situation he'd found himself in._

_"Why should I tell you? You don't frighten me like he does."_

_"True and it would be a real shame for some really valuable information to be wasted if you were to be caught, so talk." Black Canary replied not in the mood for any bravery or stall as she placing her hands on hips. "Now."_  


_"What Damien will do to me is infinitely worse..." His spat was cut off by a jab to the jaw from the Canary of Star City, effectively shutting him up for now._

_"Things are about to get really bad for you, so i'll ask you again." Black Canary kneeled in front of him making him tremble slightly by the glare he was getting. "Where. Is. Damien Darhk?"_

 

_-_

_Oliver, Thea and Felicity had just gone through the bank records that proved that Ruvè Adams paid the Demolition team for the staged attack on the mayoral debate a few months back in Arrowcave. As well as his pre written testimony of every crime Quentin was forced to cover up to protect Darhk. Felicity explained it to the Queens that Laurel gave Felicity her father's cellphone that was found by Frank Pike while SCPD were searching through Quentin's apartment with a note that said, to Laurel Lance. When asked if she wanted to see what her father had left behind, she said she was pursuing other leads and she didn't have time for it. So Felicity linked the cellphone to her computers and found the mother load of files that had crimes perpetrated by Ghosts on record._

_They were now watching a video of Quentin that was recorded the day before Darhk's trial and Quentin's subsequent death._

**_"My name is Captain Quentin Lance of Star City Police and under the federal law I swear the testimony i'm about to give is the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth. Consider this testimony my dying declaration. I'm guilty of several criminal acts and I wasn't acting alone. Damien Darhk coerced me and a number of SCPD officers into aiding and abetting a criminal conspiracy to extort protection money from Federal banks."_ **

**_-_ **

**_"Gotta admit, you sure know how to put on a show Mr. Darhk."_ **

**_-_ **

**_"Officers Warner, Amell, Cassidy, Stan, Ramsey, Rickards and Holland all took part and continued to be Darhk's operatives under the orders of Mr. Darhk himself. There may be more, I can't be sure. But I personally witnessed Star City councilwoman Emily Pollard murder councilman Marc Guggenheim in her kitchen using my handgun."_ **

**_-_ **

_Quentin watched in horror as Pollard fired two bullets from his on duty firearm to kill Guggenheim in cold blood. "NO!"_

**_-_ **

**_"And then witnessed Darhk's wife Mayor Ruvé Adams bagging my gun as evidence and remove the body, using this crime in an threat against my family, to blackmail me into cooperating with her husband."_ **

_To say that they were shocked was a understatement. They knew that he was blackmailed but they didn't know about the leverage Darhk's had on him if he were to turn himself in._

**_"I'm not making any excuses because I aided and abetted the worst crime of them all."_ **

_Exchanging an uneasy look between the Queen siblings, Thea and Oliver continued to watch as Quentin was starting to get emotional near the end of the video._

**_"I personally drove a small group of Darhk's men to the Starling Tunnel after Oliver Queen exposed Damien Darhk to the public following the Starling Harbor Attack as the leader of the Ghosts. I knew at this point he was the one responsible for the attack on the City Council and I knew he was gonna plan something horrible, but I let it happen anyway. So I'm guilty in aiding and abetting the attempted murder of Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen. I'm ashamed of what I've done but that doesn't take away the fact that I and the people I just named are guilty as hell. Give this video to my daughter as fast as you can.  Laurel, I'm sorry. For everything. But remember that I will always love you."_ **

_The video ended and the three were all shock, stunned, horrified, speechless of how deep Quentin was in bed with Damien Darhk._

_"Oh my god." Thea breathed out walking away from the computer screens, trying to process what she'd just learned along with Oliver and Felicity._

_"He knew he was gonna die." Felicity whispered from her chair, saddened of what happened to her mother's boyfriend. "Okay, so maybe it won't hold up in court. But if we put this out there, it'll make the Darhk's lives a living hell."_

_"Actually, a dying declaration is exempt from the hearsay rule." Oliver informed._

_"What?" Felicity and Thea asked in unison, trying to grasp what they just learned._

_Oliver may not be well versed in the law book as Laurel was but he did enough research to know the basics when he came back from the Island over three years ago. which meant that Quentin knew this._

_"The Court says that if a witness who believes that they're dying, that means they have less incentive to lie." He explained. "Therefore, anything they say is..."_

_"You're telling us this is admissible in court?" Felicity asked._

_"Every damn word." He said confirming it. "It's the silver bullet to take down Darhk's and HIVE."_

_"Oh my god. The world has to know about this." Thea stated._

_"The World_ **_and_  ** _Laurel." Oliver declared._

 


	12. Party Crashers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparing herself for what she's about to do, Laurel interrupts a party held in Mayor Adams honor.

**Party Crashers**

**_Star City_ **

**_May 2016._ **

**_"Get up! Go! I'm right behind you!"_ **

**_"Tommy! Tommy!!"_ **

_It felt like yesterday to her as Laurel was looking around the ruined building of her old workplace in the Glades wearing her Black Canary suit. When Tommy died saving her life in the Undertaking three years ago, almost to the date. She remembered when she got Joanna out of the building, a huge part of the ceiling caved in, coming down on her, trapping her. She remembered that she couldn't breathe let alone move underneath the rubble. She felt like she was about to die. Tommy came to rescue, somehow gaining enough strength to move the rubble so that she could escape. Unfortunately he couldn't get out of there in time as another part of the ceiling collapsed down on him and he died of his injuries. There had been days hours minutes where she thought back to that day. How she sometimes wished that it should've been her instead of Tommy. Which was why she came here, to see where it all began._

_If anyone told her that what she was about to do next was crazy, she would agree and back away but desperate times calls for desperate measures. She pressed the button on a burned cell phone and speed dialed the number she wanted to call. she waited for the caller to accept her call for a while before a gleeful voice answered._

_"Yello?"_

"Lonnie." She simply greeted to the psychopathic hitman coldly.

_**"Oh. Pretty Bird. To what do I own the pleasure of having you calling me?"** _

_She went straight to the point, not beating around the bushes. "Simple. I need you to do something for me."_

_" **Aaand what do I get in return?"**_

_"Chaos. As much as you'd like." She replied knowing it was the only way to get him on board._

_**"Ooh, now you're talking."** _

_"Damien Darhk is having a party tonight at the Plaza, to celebrate his wife's mayoral win." Laurel told him. "And I don't think he deserves a life of happily ever after."_

_-_

**_Star City Plaza_ **

_"Do you have a invite?" A body guard asked a young man wearing a all red outfit at the entrance of the Plaza. "Because if you don't, then I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave."_

_"As a matter of fact, I do." The young man looked up revealing himself to be Anarky wearing his signature mask. Recognizing who he was, the guard stumbled backwards trying to call for backup._

_In an back alley not far from the Plaza, Laurel dressed in her Black Canary suit was waiting when she heard the sounds of punching and grunting through ear communicator. That was the signal, she thought as she left the alley in a hurry._

_-_

_The cheerful mood that was evident in the ballroom as the new mayor and her husband who was wearing a face mask_ _so that people wouldn't recognize him so easily_ _mingled with guests, talking about the future, was about turn sour when the guests received notifications on their cellphones indicating that a video was trending on social media thanks to Overwatch._

_**"My name is Captain Quentin Lance of Star City Police and under the federal law, the testimony i'm about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."** _

_"What is this?" Ruvé demanded seeing everyone was looking at her in shock and horror of learning that she was married to Damien Darhk as the video went on. Things were about to take a turn for the worse in a heartbeat._

-

_Black Canary was heading down the clear path inside the Plaza walking past fallen security guards that Anarky took care for her._

_"Agents down. I repeat, agents down. Black Canary and Anarky are en route to the ballroom." A guard reported as Black Canary ran up the stairs to the ballroom._

_-_

_"Sir, there's a problem. Agents are down." A Ghost operative in disguise as bodyguard informed the Darhks before alerting the others._

_"We're under attack." Damen murmured in realization._

_"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." Everyone turned to see Anarky on the stage holding a microphone in his hands. A guest dropped his glass in horror. "I would like to make a toast. Black Canary and I wishes the new Mayor the absolute best."_

_A sonic scream echoed through the ballroom, causing everyone to drop on their knees clutching their ears in pain except for Anarky who had ear protectors. Out came Black Canary from her spot staring at the Darhk's with fire in her eyes._

_Soon enough once the guests had recovered, they ran out of the ballroom in terror as the Darhk's escaped with the help of their bodyguards leaving some of their henchmen that were keeping the reluctant duo busy._

_Black Canary and her villainous ally for one night only Anarky dived under the bar for cover as some of Darhk's men fired at them. Black Canary saw a discarded gun that conveniently laid next to her. she picked it up rising out of her cover as she fired three shots, hitting the target. Three henchmen that were shot, fell down to the floor bleeding from their respective wounds on the shoulders. Those gun lessons she took from both her father and Bucky paid off._

_"My My. Didn't know you could fire a gun." Anarky said in awe. He can't think of nothing fine but a fine chick holding a gun._

_"There's a lot things you don't know about me." Black Canary answered cryptically as she unleashed her sonic scream again sending the rest of the henchmen backwards to the wall, back first. She turned to her temporary ally."Think you can keep em busy?"_

_"Ooh, I can do better than that, birdie."_

_"Good." Black Canary made a run for the door as Anarchy took out his kamas engaging the remaining henchmen. She went straight to where the Darhk's had fled._

_-_

_"How did this happen?" Damien demanded as he walked removing the face mask he wore into the upper floors._

_"Even the most perfectionist can make errors in their judgments."_

_Normally he would snap the neck in annoyance with dark magic but instead he opted for the next best thing. A gun. He took a gun and fired two rounds into the guard that made the snip remark. He died instantly. "Noted."_

_"That video of Captain Lance is a threat to us." Ruve hissed as she resumed her route of escape. "He's about to ruin everything we worked so hard to achieve."_

_"I should've never recruited him in the first place. He should'nt have been that close to us." Damien hissed, both regretfully and infuriated of his huge mistake._

_"Damien. Listen to me." Ruvé walked over to her husband to calm him down. "Be angry later, be smart now. We have to leave immediately."_

_-_  
_**SCPD** _

_"Alright, people. You have one job." Lt. Pike gave out his order to his men as they exited the precinct, heading to their police cars. He'd just finished watching Quentin's confession online so now he was gonna try to arrest one of them or both if he's lucky.    "Arrest either Damien Darhk or Mayor Adams."_

-

_**Star City Plaza** _

_Black Canary burst through the security room making a short work of the bodyguards that were with Darhks with her fists while the control operator watched on in awe at how quickly she disposed of them._

_"Wow." He murmured._

_As much as she appreciated the compliment, it was not the time nor the place because the guests would've called the police by now. "The police are on their way to the plaza. Can you shut down the elevators?" She requested._

_"Why?" The operator inquired._

_"So nobody interferes." Black Canary replied. He did as he was told as she left the control room heading to cut off the Darhk's escape route._

-

**_"The helicopter will be at the rooftop in five minutes."_ **

_"We don't have five minutes." Ruvé hissed into her phone._

_"I agree, Mrs. Mayor." Ruvé gasped as she and Damien Darhk turned to see Black Canary standing in front of them._

_"It's over, Darhk." Black Canary declared, no point of using the voice modulator._

_She glanced at Adams with a look of contempt. "If I were you, I'd run."_

_The soon to be ex Mayor did just that._

_Darhk let out a manical laugh, making the Canary of Star City glare even more at him. "Well. If I'm going to Hell, Ms. Lance, I'm taking you with me."_

_"Save me a seat."_

_Black Canary and Darhk then gave out enraged roars before they charged at each other. Fight of the century was on._

 

 

 


	13. We did it Daddy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Laurel takes on Damien Darhk, Laurel is gonna make a decision: fulfilling her vow or choosing justice over vengeance?

_Darhk tackled Black Canary, both crashing through the door onto the floor of a hotel suite. He slammed her into the floor twice before punching her out of rage for Black Canary ruining his wife's celebration. Black Canary held her arms up to cover her face. She blocked the third punch with her forearm before slugging him sending him back. She got back up, landing a few blows to the stomach with her gloved fists before spin kicking him in the solar plexus knocking him down relying on her extensive combat training._

_Ticked off over the fact he was bit rusty thanks to his prolonged reliance on dark magic, he still had the edge in experience as he got back up, parring a right hook and gave one of his own to Black Canary before kneeing her in the stomach throwing her aside. He tried to stomp her head in but Black Canary quickly recovered, rolling out of the way before kicking Darhk in the thigh as well as at his leg._

_"Impressive. But you're still no match for me, Ms. Lance." Darhk taunted, recuperating as Black Canary regained her footing. "I was one of Ra's four horsemen, remember?"_

_"Yeah. But I was trained by Ra's daughter, Oliver Queen and Lady Shiva, so I got you beat." Laurel retorted._

_The two resumed fighting, exchanging blows to each other, before Darhk threw a kick attended to hit Black Canary in the chest but she side stepped the kick evading it before hitting Darhk at the side with a blow. Darhk returned the favor by swinging a punch at Black Canary who ducked her head under the swinging hook before grabbing her arm and threw her off but Black Canary was up to it as she got a hold of his shoulder mid air, flipping him over her. A little trick she learned from Oliver._

_Frustrated over how the fight was going, Damien decided to take the gloves off as he got back up and blocked the punches Black Canary threw at his way before parring her leg as Black Canary tried to round house kick Darhk. It gave Darhk the opening he needed as he jabbed her in the nose, grabbing her by the jacket and tossed her through a nearby wooden table before punching her two times. He then started to choke her with his hands wrapped around her throat. She struggled trying to escape the tight hold as she felt she was slipping but he wasn't budging._

_"How fitting. I killed your father and now I get to kill you. Two birds with one stone." Darhk laughed, taking immense joy of her struggle. "Any last words before I send you home to daddy?"_

_"Yeah...I'm a little north of pissed off!" Black Canary croaked, using her father's quote before striking Darhk by using her both hands to slap both of his ears, dazing him. He stumbled away giving her the neccessary time to breathe as she got back up. She then pushed Darhk into a corner wailing on him with a series of punches to his torso before throwing her fist to Darhk who evaded the incoming punch as it struck the wall._

_Black Canary shrieked in surprise, shaking her hand off the pain she felt before choking on the chop to her throat she got from Darhk who took advantage of it before landing a few powerful blows to her body, causing her to be dazed. He kicked her in the chest, knocking her down once more._

_"You're out of your league, Ms. Lance. You can't beat me." Darhk sneered, smirking as he approached Black Canary who was trying to get up. He pulled out a gun, the same gun that killed Quentin Lance and she was about to meet the same end._

_Black Canary chuckled as she spit out some blood off her mouth, surprising him a bit. "No. I'm not, because I have an ace up my sleeve." In a last ditch effort, she let out her sonic scream blasting Darhk away as he crashed through some furnitures._

_Black Canary walked over to where Darhk was and picked him up by the jacket, proceeding to beat him into a pulp with her gloved fist repeatedly letting out her pent up rage._

_Punch! "This is for Oliver!" She declared. Punch! "This is for John!" Punch, punch! And by that point, Damien's nose was broken, blood trickling down the nasals. "This is for William and Felicity!"_

_Once she was done, she grabbed his head with both of her hands going in for the kill. "And this... Is for my dad."_

_But as she was about to twist his head to the side, she hesitated for a split second. Was she really going to do it? Kill Darhk as she said she would and lose herself_

_Then Black Canary let out a cry of sorrow, stepping away from a bloodied Damien Darhk as she crumbled to her knees. She couldn't do it, despite everything what that man did to her and her father. She couldn't kill him because it would undo the sacrifice her father had made to put Darhk behind the bars._

_For a couple of moments, she cried out of anger, grief and sadness. Anger for what that man did to her friends, grief for her father dying to save her life and sadness of the fact her father was dead and he won't come back._

_"I'll never stop going after Oliver Queen or John Diggle." Damien told her of his intentions if he were to be arrested again weakly. "I will tell the world who you really are."_

_"You... You want me to kill you." Black Canary said, pointing her finger at him as she realized what he was attempting to do._

_"You know no prison will hold me. Not even ARGUS. You know that. " Darhk tried to goad Black Canary into killing him but Black Canary didn't grant him that wish. "Come on, kill me!!!"_

_"NO!!!!" Black Canary roared, finally heard enough of Damien. "God knows I want to with every fiber of my being, but you will not destroy who I am, like you destroyed my father! You will go straight to prison, and you will live out the rest of your miserable life in a cage, knowing you'll never have either Nora or Ruvé, that this city rejected you. It beat you! **I** beat you!!!" She declared herself and her city as the victors over the Darhks._

_She took off her mask and stared into his eyes with pure hatred. "You keep my secret and you won't harm Oliver Queen or John Diggle or anyone else because if you do, I will go after your daughter and I'll make sure that Nora will spend her teenage years bouncing from foster home to foster home and like her parents, she'll spend her entire life in a cell." Laurel promised hoarsely, to Damien shock and horror._

_Seeing that she had him right where she wanted her to, Black Canary put the mask back on as she backed away from Damien while Ruvé who for some reason decided to not leave her husband behind appeared in the suite._

_"I'm sorry, Ruvé. I failed you." Damien apologized profusely as his wife went over to him. "Everything I did, was for you and Nora. To secure our future."_

_"Don't be." Ruvé assured him. "But right now you need to secure our daughter's for both of our sakes." Realizing that she was right, Damien turned his head to Black Canary._  
  
_"If I agree to your demands, you'll leave our daughter alone?" Damien inquired. "You'll leave Nora free."_

 _Black Canary walked over to them with a blank look. "If you keep your word." She said leaving them with no other option as she extended her gloved hand for_ _a  handshake._

_Damien took her hand and shook it begrudgingly. The deal has been made. "Then you got yourself a deal."_

_Then Lieutenant Pike stormed through the entrance doors with a small army of police officers having managed to break through the elevators as Black Canary started to walk away from them._

_"Damien Darhk. Mayor Adams. You're under arrest." Pike said while acknowledging the vigilante with a glance._ _The officers went behind the Darhk's, putting their hands behind their backs in handcuffs as Black Canary walked past the Lieutenant._

_"Wasn't that Black Canary?" Officer Walters asked seeing the blonde vigilante in surprise._

_"Yep." Pike replied._

_"Wasn't she responsible for the attack on Adams after she got elected?" Officer Perry inquired._

_SCPD veteran shook his head no, he'd been around long enough to know the difference between the real and the fake. "That wasn't the real Black Canary."_

_"How do you know?" Officer Walters questioned her commanding officer._

_"Because she is." Pike stated, gesturing to the retreating figure of Black Canary leaving the penthouse suite._

_-_

_Green Arrow, Spartan and Speedy watched from a far standing on the rooftop of a nearby building seeing what was happening before their very eyes to their awe._

_The Press was having a field day as the clock struck midnight, taking pictures of the disgraced Mayor Adams and a bloodied Damien Darhk being led out by the police and put in the backseat of a police_ _in handcuffs._

 _"Can we at least have a moment to say goodbye to our daughter?" Damien requested as Pike_   _took the driver's seat not bothering to look over his shoulder._

_"Did you give one to Quentin Lance?" Pike retorted coldly to Damien who fell silent as they drove off and headed to SCPD Lockup._

_"Laurel should be here." Spartan said._

_"I'm pretty sure she is." Green Arrow replied._

_-_

_Black Canary was standing tall on an apartment building not far from the Plaza. She and her allies have taken down the Darhk's though it came at a terrible price._

_"We did it, daddy." She murmured as a tear went down her cheek in solace._

 

 

 


	14. Protector

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of Darhk's defeat, Laurel muses about why she chose to spare Darhk.

_**May 25 2016** _

_Damien Darhk and his wife's arrest seemed to have a profound effect, it unraveled Hive's entire network a week later. ARGUS along with Interpol and the FBI arrested the Hive Heads across the globe including a number of corrupt SCPD officers and politicians that were on Darhk's payroll, including a Star City Council member Emily Pollard for the murder of Marc Guggenheim. All thanks to Ruvè Adams who upon her arrest almost immediately turned to State witness and corroborated with Quentin's dying declaration._

_But that did little to please Laurel as she was standing in front of her father's tombstone wearing sunglasses and make up to cover the bruises she gained from her brutal fight with Damien Darhk at Star City Plaza. It was a quiet afternoon in Star City._

_"Wanna say few words, Lyla?" Laurel inquired Lyla as the ARGUS director came by Quentin's grave following the arrests of Hive members all over the globe. . "I don't have any at the moment."_

_"God rest his soul. That should be enough." Lyla said simply._

_"You know for his last birthday, I bought him a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. He used to make it when I celebrated my birthdays." Laurel recalled fondly then sighed grievously. "I wanted Darhk dead."_

_"Was it worth it?" Lyla questioned Laurel decision of sparing her Father's murderer. She wasn't judging, just curious. "Sparing Darhk's life_ _?"_

_"I've been thinking about that for the past week alone." Laurel replied. "I saw what taking a life does to people. Oliver. Sara, Bucky and my Dad. I saw the dull look in their eyes showing how much it takes a toll on them. So... yes it was worth it and not with it the end. But at least I kept my humanity."_

**_XXXX_ **

**_May 26_ **

**_St Michaels._**

_"Wow. Seems like half of Star City is here to say goodbye to my father Captain Quentin Lance, which is bit of a surprise." Laurel noted standing in front of the peers that were in attendance for a memorial service held in honor of Captain Lance and his service to Star City. Oliver and Thea were among the attendance sitting at the front row._

_"Feels like yesterday when I was 8 years old, I walked up to Dad and told him that I wanted to become a police officer like himself." Laurel recalled one of her childhood memories with a fond smile. "His reaction was like 'Over my dead body will I ever let my little girl join the force.'" She imitated her father's gruff voice to perfection._

_Everyone chuckled at that._

_"He used to preach to me that you don't have to go outside the law to find justice but there have been moments where he was forced to bend the rules for the good of this city_ _." Laurel continued. "Even in his last moments, he was more than willing to sacrifice his life to protect others. To protect his community whether you are from his neighborhood or not."_

_Laurel took a moment to regain herself as she was at the end of her speech. "And that is his legacy: He was a protector and it is up to us now to live up to it."_

_XXXX_

**AN: Kudos, comment, bookmark and follow this story.**

 

 


	15. Prison Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the team make plans to rescue Stein, Ray and Mick from a Russian Gulag, Bucky is forced to make a tough decision that could effect the entire team.

_**May 25 2016** _

_**St Michael's** _

_**"That was a wonderful speech." DA Remz complimented Laurel as the guests took it to the dinning hall of St Michaels, while talking about fond memories of their encounters with the late Captain Lance over the years. It was a joyful mood. "Very heartfelt."** _

_**"Thank you, Remz." Laurel said feeling somewhat grateful as she took a sip from her glass of water. "I appreciate the compliment."**  
_

_**"So I guess you heard, the soon to be ex Mayor Adams and councilwoman Pollard flipped. They both corroborated with your father's dying declaration." Remz said.** _

_**"I did hear." Laurel replied. She'd heard it from Pike four days after the Darhk's and Emily Pollard were arrested a day apart which was music to her ears. "So, SCPD and City Hall are getting enemas. Darhk's are looking at life in prison. What happens next?"** _

**" _Well. What happens next is that you'll be the first person to know that before the ordeal with Adams and Darhk, I'm gonna announce my retirement from my position as this City's District attorney this fall and I want you to be my successor."_** **_Remz told her._ **

  
**_Laurel's eyes went wide as saucers upon hearing it while almost choking on water. "Now I know it may come as a surprise but the way you handled Damien Darhk's trial was really impressive. You don't have to answer right away, just... think about it.  You could do a lot good for this city." Remz went to take a drink whilst Laurel needed a moment or two to process the offer she was given to. She was gonna have to make a big decision._**

**_-_ **

******Moscow 1986**

After a talk with what's left of team about how they were gonna break into the gulag which was Koshmar, the nightmare in Russian where Ray, Mick and Stein were being held by Vostok and Savage Bucky decided to seek help from the Bratva, the Russian mafia who were at the pinnacle of their powers in the late 80s during the Cold War despite the protests of the Time Master. 

He entered the sauna where one of its members were there at this moment of time.

"Я ищу медведя Юрия, ты его видел?" (I am looking for Yuri the Bear, have you seen him?) Buck demanded the big brute who had an inquiring look on his face.

"Зависит. Кто ты?" (Depends. Who are you?) The big brute asked standing up as he gave him a look of suspicion.

Bucky introduced himself in Russian as he showed his bratva star tattoo on his shoulder blade. "Я братва. Где я могу найти Юрия Медведя?"(I am Bratva. Where can I find Yuri the Bear?)

Relaxing a bit over the fact he was talking to a fellow bratva, he nudged his head for his men to leave. "Я прошу прощения за такую грубость. Большинство мужчин, которые приходят сюда с просьбой о помощи Братвы, не имеют татуировок. И человеку, у которого нет жизненной истории, нельзя доверять. Вы бы поняли." (I apologize for such rudeness. Most of the men that come here asking for Bratva's help have no tattoos. And a man who has no life story cannot be trusted. You would understand.)

"Я делаю." (I do.) Bucky replied in understanding. "Мне нужна ваша помощь. Вы когда-нибудь слышали о Vandal Savage?"  
(I need your help. You ever heard of Vandal Savage?)

"Я слышал об этом Дикаре. Он не уважает богатые криминальные традиции моей страны." (I've heard of this Savage. He has no respect for my country's rich criminal traditions.) Yuri spat, his face cringing in disgust at the mention of him.

"Тогда я представляю, что вы ненавидите его за управление своей криминальной империей в вашей стране?" (Then I Imagine that you hate him running his criminal empire in your country?) Bucky guessed.

"Как свинья любит быть рождественским ужином." (As much as a pig enjoys being Christmas dinner.) Yuri sneered, confirming it.

"Тогда у меня есть для вас предложение: помогите мне освободить трех моих товарищей, которые содержатся в Кошмаре, и я помогу вам уничтожить операции Savage в России." Bucky proposed. (Then I have a proposition for you: Help me free three of my comrades that are being held in Koshmar and i'll help you destroy Savage's operations in Russia.)  It was too good of an offer for Yuri to pass up."Вы знакомы с Кошмаром Да?"(You're familiar with Koshmar Yes?)

"Моя организация занимается поставками товаров с черного рынка в Кошмар. Я посмотрю, что я могу сделать, но позвольте мне сказать вам, товарищ: Кошмар - это не отель для мелких преступников. Если ваши друзья там, они должны быть безумными, безжалостными животными." (My organization runs black market goods into Koshmar. I shall see what I can do, but allow me to tell you this, comrade: Koshmar is not a hotel for petty criminals. If your friends are there, they must be insane, ruthless animals.)

That's what Bucky was afraid of.

-

**Waverider**

"Ok, this is the schematics of the whole gulag that Yuri sent to us." Bucky showed the map of the Russian Prison on the computer screen to everyone at the main bridge in the Waverider. He pointed to a specific entrance inside the gulag. "According to him, this is where his men have access to." 

"This isn't my first prison break, James." Snart drawled, cool as ever.

"We got it covered." Sara reassured. Kendra and Jax entered the main bridge and enjoyed the others at the computer table. 

"So how can we help?" Kendra queried, wondering how they were gonna help them. 

"By staying on the ship. We don't need any more casualties. Besides, Mr. Snart, James, and Sara have got it covered." Rip instructed not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Whoa, man. Why does it feel like we're on the JV team all of a sudden?" Jax frowned not liking the fact he was being benched. Understanding Rip's thought process, Bucky decided to break it down for them. 

"Because Jax, you're the other half of Firestorm that Savage needs to make the Soviets win the Cold War and Kendra is the only person in the world that can kill Savage. So we rather not play all cards on the table." Bucky told them, Rip nodded in agreement as Jax sighed through his nose hating the fact that he was being put on the sidelines.

"We should get going." Snart said, the trio of Snart, Sara and Bucky excluding Jax and Kendra went to the cargo bay to get their weapons while Rip went back to his office before remembering something that he had to discuss with Barnes in private.

"Oh, Mr. Barnes, could I borrow you for a moment?" Rip asked, causing the former Army Ranger to halt in mid way turning his head in question. "I have something that might help you out with the mission."

Narrowing his eyes, Bucky reluctantly went to the Captain's office wondering what the rip.  "What is it?" He inquired a bit suspicious.

"Gideon, will you please show Mr. Barnes the projection of 2016 should our rescue mission fail?" Rip requested the Timeship's AI as he sat down on his chair in a slouched position.

 _"I'd be happy to, Captain."_ Gideon complied and soon enoughthe terrifying screams of people filled his ears as a holograph appeared before him showing multiple Firestorms raining down fire upon the citizens. It was horrible to watch.

"This is what will happen to Russia if we don't get Stein back?" Bucky mused having somewhat of an idea of what might happen if they don't rescue Stein.

"Not Russia. This is Star City." Rip revealed, much to the former ARGUS operative's shock. "The rest of world doesn't look much better."

Bucky shook his head in denial. He refused to believe it.  "No. No, that's impossible." 

"Not if Stein creates a stable Firestorm for the Soviets." Rip told Bucky. "Here in 1986, they're already perilously close to creating a prototype." Rip sat up indicating how serious the situation was at the moment. "Listen to me, James. Everything... _Everything_ we've tried to achieve so far could be lost. And not only will my family die 150 years from now, but your family, your city, your entire 21st-century world will suffer."

If anything, it made Bucky even more determined to rescue Stein. "All the more reason to rescue Stein before he even consider of caving in to Vostok."

"Well, I-I hope so, but we need a contingency plan." Rip revealed standing up, ringing alarm bells in Bucky's mind. 

Furrowing his eyebrows, Bucky went on to press the team leader of what that contingency plan was."What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that if at any point throughout the operation it becomes clear that Martin is..." Rip paused for a moment not liking what he was about to ask James to do.  "beyond our reach-"

"Then I'll have to kill Stein." Bucky finished, not liking it one bit.

-

As he was assembling his sniper rife from the case at the cargo bay in silence, Bucky thought back to what Rip asked him to do. Taking a life to save billions and the future. Normally he wouldn't have a problem with it but in this case he was tasked with taking one of his teammates in order to prevent Vostok from creating Soviet Firestorm.  He was also having a bit of internal conflict. On one hand it made sense but on the other hand he has never killed an fellow teammate when he was in service. However he did some horrendous things being Waller's puppet back at ARGUS, so the question he had was, did he still had it in him? 

"So, James." Bucky sighed as Snart popped up beside him.  "What did Rip keep you after class to talk about?"

"It's complicated."  Bucky simply told the thief, not wanting to go into details.

"He wants you to take out the old man, doesn't he?" Snart assumed and Bucky fell quiet, he didn't confirm nor denying it. "It's the obvious play and it's also heartless which should suit you for a man of your talents."

"It's not that simple." Bucky tried to justify for what he was about to do even if he doesn't like it. "Rip showed me what's going to happen to Star City in 2016, to my family to Sara's if we don't rescue Stein. If he breaks, the damage to the timeline will be irreversible."

 Clicking his tongue, Snart could only shake his head in disappointment. He figured that would be the soldier's response, an obedient one. "I've been on a lot of heists, even when things got rough, I never took out one of my own."

"Well, guess what? This isn't a bank heist." Bucky said putting the last pieces in place.

"First, he left my partner twisted in the wind and now he wants you to ice old Silver-top? We're all just pawns, Bucky." Snart told him, making him pause for a moment when the veteran thief said his nickname. He must be serious "I mean, I'm the crook and you're the soldier/assassin..."

 "You don't think I don't like this anymore than you do?" Bucky cut Snart off. "My hands are tied on this one and If Sara doesn't rescue Stein first before he tells Vostok on how to stabilize Soviet Firestorm,  then I'll have to do what needs to be done." He carried the sniper rifle on one hand and the weapon case on the other as he left the cargo bay.

"Told ya it was a waste of time, assassin." Snart said looking over his shoulder and out stepped Sara with a look of dismay. 

"God Damnit, Buck."

-

 **Russia**  
  
**Koshmar**

Bucky, Sara and Snart were in the back of a military truck sent as Rip on the driver seat gave the guard falsified identification papers at the check point courtesy from Yuri the Bear. the guard let them in and soon enough the trio snuck out of the back, Bucky carrying the sniper rifle in hand and headed to the gate where the lab was located. Bucky and Sara wore all black to blend into the shadows while Snart was dressed as a prison guard.

"Remember, we get Stein first." Sara instructed the two men behind her. 

"If the plan fails, James will kill him." Snart remembered before turning to face Bucky. "Want my advice?"

"Not really." Bucky replied, not caring much for it.

"Don't use your gun, do it with your hands while you look into Stein's eyes." Snart told the ex soldier.

"And your point?" 

"I want you to know that you're gonna be the one that snuffed Stein's lights out."

 Clenching his jaw, Bucky scaled the fence and climbed up to the top of the building where he choked a guard out with the rifle at the least guarded vantage point as Sara and Snart snuck into the building. He placed the rifle on the ground staring into the scope in a prone position, the bipod was in place to steady the rifle and the potential shot.

"I'm in position. Sara, what's your status?" Bucky asked.

 _"I have eyes on Stein, Vostok is taking him to the lab."_ Sara reported.

" _Sara, the future is cementing. You must extract Stein before he enters the lab."_ Rip told her and that did little to ease Bucky's nerves as a firefight were taking place in his ear comm seconds after. Gripping the rifle tightly, he hoped that Plan A wouldn't fail but given the bad luck his team has had, he wouldn't bet his apartment on it.

 _"What's happening, Ms. Lance?"_ Rip demanded, slightly anxious of what's happening.

 _"I couldn't rescue Stein."_ Sara reported.

_"Have they moved him into the lab?"_

_"Yeah. With Savage's every guard at the Gulag watching him."_ Bucky shook his head with a sigh. So close, yet so far.

 _"Well if that's the case..."_ Rip didn't have to finish his sentence as Bucky understood the meaning of it based on grim tone in his voice.

"I know what I have to do." Bucky said, asking God for forgiveness for what's he about to do.

-

 **10 minutes later.**  
  
Bucky was impatiently waiting when he saw Kendra in her Hawkgirl suit dropping Jax off on the prison yard before flying away with a swosh.

  
"What the hell?" Bucky muttered to himself before contacting Rip on the comms to find out what's going on. "Rip, what are they doing?"

 _"What I should've done from the start."_ Rip said. _"Forget about the Fail Safe."_

"Little late for Plan C, don't ya think?" Bucky asked incredulously at the timing. That it would've been nice to know way earlier although he was actually relieved that he didn't have to kill Stein.

 _"Not if Jax can Reach the circuit breaker."_ Rip said. Bucky saw Jax making a beeline to the circuit breaker. Bucky fired two shots from his rifle, killing two guards in process who spotted the former high school All American. Despite the bad knee, Jax was able to get to the other side of the yard opening the breaker and pulled the lever turning it down.  
  
"Good job, Kid." Bucky praised Jax as the inmates were set free due to the fact the cell locks were electromagnetic and took on the guards. Soon chaos ensued on the yard. But then he spotted from afar Stein being led by the Guards to the core reactor where Vostok was. He feared that the last second  change of plan may be a little too late.

 Deciding to go with the original plan, he looked into the scope. He got Stein in his sights. Taking a deep breath, his index finger was about to squeeze the trigger when an all too familiar voice spoke to him.

 _"Don't even think about pulling that trigger, Buck."_ Sara warned. _"You're not the Winter Soldier anymore."_

"It's not about that. Vostok knows that Stein is the other half of the Firestorm and if she merges with him, the Soviets will win the Cold War and Star City will burn to the ground."   Bucky said, trying to convince himself as doubt crept in him.

_"If you believe that there was no other option, you wouldn't talk to me right now. The Bucky I know wouldn't even consider killing a fellow soldier in cold blood. Bucky, Please."_

Bucky sighed as he lowered the rifle down realizing that she was right. Even after what he went through, he still had that singled minded mentality. That's not who he was.

Realizing that it was time for him to go, Bucky got up taking the rifle with him and jumped off the building landing on the ground elegantly. "Rip, I'm falling back. Where's the jump ship?" He asked as he used the butt of the rifle to knock out some inmates that tried to take him on.

 _"At the loading docks to your left."_ Rip informed as Bucky went left to the docks where the Jump Ship was located at. He did his part, now was up to Sara and the others to rescue Stein.

A while later, Sara and Jax were carrying an exhausted Stein with Snart providing cover to the Jumpship and once the ship took off to the Waverider as Vostok due to the unstable nuclear energy she had absorbed from the thermal core exploded to bits leaving a cloud burst. Couldn't have happened to a nice girl.

 -

**Waverider**

Team Legends had a drink for a successful mission in Rip's office on the Waverider as Rip poured Russian vodka into the glasses.

"Courtesy of Yuri the Bear." Mick said, taking his drink.

"How did you have the time to steal this?" Sara asked.

"There's always time to steal." Snart replied coolly. 

Buck was not going to ask how as he took his glass from the wooden table. "Well, here's to us for not ruining the timeline, for once." He declared.

"Please tell me that's true, Gideon." Rip said in a plea, hoping what Mr. Barnes had said was correct.

 _"The Projections of the future are back to normal."_ Gideon answered, much to the others delight.

"I'll drink to that." Kendra said jovially.

Snart made a toast by raising his glass. "To Rip: To things _not_ going accordingly to his plan." 

"To the captain!" Stein proclaimed and everyone chorused what the elderly professor had said as they raised their glasses in celebration.

-

**AN: Kudos, comment, bookmark and follow this story.**

 


	16. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver sees Laurel a week after her father's death, to make her accept reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a filler but I'm working on the next chapter.

April 2016

Star City

A week after Quentin's Death.

Oliver took a deep breath before knocking on the door of Laurel's apartment. It's been a week since Quentin was killed and Team Arrow tried to call Laurel individually but they could only reach to her voicemail so Oliver decided to take matters into his own hands.

The door opened and Laurel was standing in front of him with a backpack in hand. He sighed in resignation, having a idea of where she was going to and it was not Bahamas. She was going to find another Lazarus pit to bring her father back.

"Get out of my way." Laurel said not in the mood for any argument.

Oliver shook his head slowly. He won't allow her for her own sake. "No."

"I won't ask you again." Laurel snarled lowly but Oliver remained firm in his stand.

"No."

Laurel huffed before throwing the backpack away, turning her back on him. "Who sent you? Was it Thea? John? Or Felicity?"

"I came here by my own accord." Oliver replied, Laurel scoffed, not believing him. "And I also want you to know that I understand what you're going through right now."

His sincere words seemed to fell on deaf ears as Laurel picked up the backpack that was a few feet away from them and walked past him."No you don't. You didn't have a father who gave up his life to save you so you're in no position to tell me that."

Laurel was wrong on that one. He of all people had been in her position before. "Yes he did." He admitted, causing her to freeze at the doorstep with a surprised look.

"What I told everyone about what happened nine years ago... that was a lie." Oliver confessed, he walked to her cautiously as Laurel turned around to face him. It was never easy to tell the graphic details of what really happened, even now but he felt it was necessary to make her understand. "After the Gambit went down, Dad and I both made it to the life raft with a bodyguard named Dave Hackett. We drifted for days. When my father realized that there was only enough food and water for one person, he pulled out a revolver and shot Hackett first and then he pulled the gun on himself. Laurel, I understand what you're trying to do, really I do but it's not gonna work. Your father is dead."

She shook her head in dismay, trying to push the harsh truth out of her mind. "No. He's not. He's not. He's gone." When she said it out loud, she froze in shock. It was as if she realized what she had just uttered. "He's gone."

Then the floodgates had been opened as Laurel crumbled to her knees, crying her eyes out as Oliver embraced her in an emotional hug. Her gutwrenching sobs echoed through the apartment into hallway as her mind accepted the reality. Quentin Larry Lance was dead.


	17. Domino Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fallout of Damien Darhk's defeat begins to take effect while Laurel contemplates her future as the Black Canary.

_**A day after the Darhk's public arrest** _

_A Ghost was running as fast as he could from ARGUS agents that had broken into one of many Hive's underground lairs but he was intercepted by their colleagues that tackled him down to the ground from the side._

-

_**Star City** _

_**SCPD** _

_Officers Liza Warner was dragged out of the SCPD precinct along with her colleagues that were on Darhk's payroll while her former co-workers looked at her in disgust, ashamed that she wore the same badge as they did._

_Lt. Pike watched from a distance, thinking about how one man can make a difference although it came at a terrible price._

-

_**Star City** _

_**City Hall.** _

_Argus Agents burst through the office of council woman Emily Pollard walking past her employees straight into her office and dragged her out as they slapped the handcuffs on her wrists. During the time she was arrested, Emily Pollard had a look of resignation, realizing that the truth had come out in the open._

-

_Pheadra Nixon, another high ranking member of Hive's inner circle was pulling up on the driveway of her mansion when suddenly she was surrounded by an army of FBI agents, catching her off guard._

-

_**26 May 2016** _

**_Bunker._ **

_Laurel stared at her case containing her Black Canary suit back in the bunker contemplating about whether she should accept the offer of becoming Remz's successor. It was eerily quiet. Too quiet._

_On one hand the offer was everything she worked hard for since graduating from Law School but on other hand it put some serious doubts in her mind about her other line of work. Can she continue doing what's doing without resorting to killing? She meant what she said to Lyla after Darhk's downfall. It was both worth it and not worth it in the end. Worth it because she chose justice over revenge and not worth it because there could be someone worse out that Laurel might encounter in the near future and she may not have the same choice like she had with Damien Darhk which left her at a crossroads._

_She sighed as she walked away from the case with more doubts than ever._


	18. Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurel makes a decision that may decide her future as a vigilante.

_**Star City** _

_**The Bunker** _

_The first thing Oliver saw when he entered the bunker was Laurel sitting at the computer with her arms crossed staring blankly into the computer screens. It's been a week since the Darhk's were arrested and Hive fell like dominos in the aftermath but it felt less a victory and more of a loss because Team Arrow was broken. John reenlisted into the military following the death of his brother Andy, he told Oliver that he needed to figure out what went wrong and how . It wasn't just him that left Star City. Felicity also left following the breakup and losing her position as the CEO of Palmer Industries. It was too much for her to take so she took the first flight back home to Vegas with her mother but not without leaving the loft they shared and an apology to him._ _So again it was more a loss than a victory._

_"I wanted to kill him." Laurel confessed and Oliver fell silent, curious  of where she was going with this. "I wanted to kill Darhk so bad, for everything he's done to me, Dad. Everyone." her body shook somewhat in anger at the mention of the man who killed her father in front of her own eyes._

_"But you didn't." Oliver pointed out. Laurel sighed, looking up to the ceiling as she calmed herself down._

_"I couldn't." Laurel replied. "I couldn't because It would undo everything that Dad had done to put Darhk behind bars."_

_"What brought this on?" Oliver asked, noting that something else was bothering her aside from what happened last week.  The ADA shifted in the chair_   _slightly before telling him the reason._

_"Remz wants me to be his successor and he expects an answer from me before his retirement this fall." Laurel told him. "Which put the future of my other line of work into question."_

_Everything made sense in the former playboy's head now of why she was saying this. She was unsure of whether she should continue to be Black Canary without crossing the line which nearly happened last week and she was  afraid that the next criminal that she could come across may not give her the same choice that she had with the imprisoned leader of the Hive. "All I can say to you is do what  you feel is right for you."  He advised._

_She laughed sarcastically. Well, that was not her one of her strengths, that's for sure. She can be like her father in her decision making, more than she liked to admit._ _"Yeah, that is something that I haven't done well in the last few years."_

_Oliver didn't disagree with her. "Sometimes making bad decision can potentially lead to make a good one._ "

XXXX

**May 27**

**Star City City Hall**

_D.A Remz was sorting the papers out that was in front of him at his desk in the D.A's. Office when Laurel entered. he looked up to her calmly._

_"I take it you have made a decision?" Remz guessed and Laurel nodded._

_"You're looking at the new District Attorney of Star City."_

**XXXX**

**May 29**

**Bunker**

**Present time**

"Have you decided whether you should continue to be Black Canary, Doll?" Bucky asked his girlfriend who seemed to have made up her mind the moment she stepped inside  the bunker. 

Laurel nodded, glancing at the case that contained her suit but without the mask which was in her hand. She had thought long and hard since she became the new District Attorney. "I have. When I became Black Canary, it used to make me feel alive and close to Sara but after Dad died... It's now a reminder of the line that I nearly crossed and what I lost." She placed the mask on the mannequins nose with resignation. "Black Canary is officially retired."

AN: Bookmark, kudos and comment on the latest chapter.


	19. Star City 2046 Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following a surprise attack from Chronos, Legends seek shelter in a war zoned Star City 2046.

**May 19 2016**

_**Laurel stared blankly at the screens at the bunker as the news of the Darhk's public arrest and the high corruption went national the next day.  The victory she and her allies gained over the Darhks tasted bittersweet to her because it came at a terrible price and yet it feels Damien Darhk had won. Her prosecution, everything they fought for were almost undone when Judge Balderrama acquitted Darhk thanks to him blackmailing the entire jury with knowledge of their addresses. whatever chance they had  left of bringing the city back into the light nearly died the moment when Darhk killed her dad in front of her eyes. she betted all on him and Darhk took the best option she had and destroyed her emotionally.  she barley restrained herself during her savage beating of Darhk if she hadn't known about her father's dying declaration as his backup plan.** _

_**She sighed as she walked away from the screens and went to the showers. She needed to take her mind off the Darhk's for a while.** _

**May 29 2016**

Sara kneeled in front of her father's grave with tears in her eyes. She shouldn't have left Star City. Her father would be still alive if she was still here hadn't she accepted Rip's offer.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm so sorry."

-

**A few months back.**

**Temporal Zone**

**Waverider**

Boom!

Without any warning, the ship was struck by an explosion causing  its occupants to fall to the  ground in surprise. Alarms blared loudly.

"What the hell?" Bucky muttered shaking his head a few times as they got cautiously back up. 

 _"We've been struck by a explosive projectile."_ Gideon informed.

"No kidding." Ray breathed, his body still sore from the beating he'd received from Savage's lackey at Koshmar and the surprise fall didn't make it better.

"Everyone, get strapped in,  _now_!" Rip bellowed and the group wasted no time heading straight to the bridge to their respective seats. The rogue Time Master was puzzled by the surprise attack as his team took their seats, strapping themselves in. 

"We're in the temporal zone, I don't understand. No one should able to..." The Waverider was rocked by another missile, interrupting the Captain's musing.

"You were saying?" Snart snarked. 

 _"A scan of the vessel suggests that it's the bounty hunter Chronos."_ Gideon informed.

"Oh man, this guy's got impeccable timing." Jax groaned in despair. Bucky agreed with the former high school All American. 

 _"He appears to be following us!"_  Gideon said.

"You think!" Bucky muttered as Rip pressed in the numbers on the captain's chair, firing counter measures.  Waverider launched flares that exploded in front of the bounty hunter, blinding him. It forced Chronos to fall back.

_"Counter Measures effective." Gideon reported._

"Have we lost him?!"Stein inquired.

_"Yes. But not his missile. Our primary shield has been gravely compromised."_

"Initiate evasive maneuvers."  Rip commanded. The ship made a swift  left.

Ray moaned as his stomach churned at the sudden movement of the ship. Oh he doesn't feel so good right now. "Vodka was a bad choice." 

_"Impact in 3. 2. 1..."_

The missile struck the Waverider once more, causing further damage to the Timeship.  _"Sir. We've just been knocked out of the timestream."_

"What the hell does that mean?" Bucky demanded not liking it one bit.

"It means that we're  crash landing." Rip breathed out, pale as a ghost at what he was informed.  "In space and time." He braced himself along with everyone else for impact.

_-_

**Star City 2046**

The city that Team Legends had crashed landed in looked like something from a horror movie. Ruined buildings, fires everywhere, explosion. Something told Bucky that they weren't in Kansas anymore

The Legends came out of an alley and into the street with Mick and Bucky taking point with their respective weapons. 

"Gideon, camouflage the ship." Rip commanded looking around  the empty city.  "This doesn't look like the type of a place that we linger out in the open."  The AI complied to his command as the Waverider turned invisible.

Ray spotted something from a distance and spotted a logo on the top of a building that used to be Palmer Tech. "That looks a lot like Palmer Tech but why does it have a Smoak Logo on it ?" He wondered puzzled.

Sara realized in that horrifying  moment the city they were in. "Wait. This is Star City. " She turned to face the Time master with anger in her eyes. "You told me that the timeline was safe."

"Star City was intact in 2016." Rip looked at his device that he had in his hand to see what year they were in. "This... is 2046."

Then out of nowhere a dark hooded figure appeared on the roof of a car and notched an arrow at the Legends. "Don't move!" He growled as Bucky and Rip pointed  their guns at the hooded figure whose outfit looked a lot like Green Arrow except it's more dark green than light.

Recognizing the outfit rather than the person who was wearing, Sara took a few steps forward thinking that it was the same person in relief. "Thank God."

"I said don't move!" Green Arrow copycat repeated his warning which Sara didn't heed.

"It's me. Sara." 

Bucky however took a closer look at Green Arrow Jr and immediately he saw that the person who wore the green hood was not the person Sara thought it was.   "Sara, I don't think that's really him underneath that hood."

"I'm not that person who you think I am." The future Green Arrow sneered before firing the explosive arrow, hitting the car behind them. The arrow exploded on impact startling them. Bucky fired from his rifle in retaliation causing him to jump off the car and headed straight to cover behind a van.

"Fall back!" Rip told them as they took cover behind a few broken  pillars ducking from the incoming arrows the new emerald archer was firing from his own cover.

"Is this guy a friend of yours?! I don't like him!" Mick shouted to Sara  who rolled her eyes in response. Her eyes widened as Bucky shot back at their attacker avoided the bullets by rolling back into cover.

"What you're doing, Buck?!"  

"Shooting back, obviously!" Bucky retorted. "Haven't you paid any attention to what's going on!"

"Well, I'm sorry for being slow to realize that the Green Arrow is not Oliver Queen  in this timeline!" Sara snapped, Bucky rolled his eyes in annoyance before ducking his head under an arrow flying over his head.

"Well, he sure dresses like him." Ray observed.

"And shoots arrows like him." Snart deadpanned, seeing an arrow flying past him.

"Well whoever he is, I don't plan to stick around and get shish kebabbed by this dude." Jax said.

"The Kid's right. Let's stay behind and kill him." Mick occurred as he projected a stream of fire from his flamethrower  towards Green Arrow 2.0.

"We need to get back to the ship!" Rip announced as he took point and ran back to the WaveRider with everyone else following pursuit.

-

**Waverider**

"Wanna explain what the hell we just saw out there!" Bucky demanded as they walked back to bridge of the timeship determined to get answers and he wasn't the only one. sparks burst out of the roof lamp

"What you  have witnessed outside was a clear cut example of what I've been telling you from the start: that the timeline is mallable." Rip told everyone of what they had just witnessed especially to Sara. "The future is in constant flux which means that it is not set in stone but every decision you make in the past could potentially have serious ramifications."

"What you're trying to say, Rip? That Star City is set to be Sodom and Gomorra in the  future?" Sara said feeling pissed off.

"Of course not, Ms. Lance.  _This_  future is not set." Rip reassured the blonde ex assassin, putting her at somewhat ease before turning his attention back to the rest of the team. "Remember what I told you that knowing too much about your own futures were dangerous for any of you? Well, the events that you dread may come to fruition due to your actions to prevent them." 

"You know what I think? I think you think too much." Mick deadpanned.

"Believe me, when I tell you that the best thing for yourselves and for this mission, is to make the repairs to the Waverider here in 2046 and head  _back_  to your own time, making sure that none of this  _ever_ come to be." Rip stated having made his point across before heading to the engine room.

-

After a quick look at the main engine in the engine room, Jax decided to fix the engine since he was a mechanic while Rip was going to try to steal a prototype neuromorphic interface to replace the one that was damaged during their encounter with Chronos in the temporal zone from Smoak Technologies. It's what Gideon operated with and with out it, they were screwed.

"It's not money. It's not jewels. No valuable artifact. You're just lucky i'll steal anything right now." Mick mused as he and Len were gearing themselves up in the Cargo Bay with Rip looking more tense than usual.

The former time master figured as much. "As I suspected." Rip muttered.

"You'll get your gizmo. You just get this buckets flying again." Snart reassured him putting his gloves on as Sara entered the bay with Bucky wearing their alter ego attires.

"We're coming with." Sara said putting on her white jacket. Rip shook  his head vigorously. It was a  very bad idea.

"Absolutely not. You two must stay on the ship. You two are too emotionally connected to this city." Rip said sternly.

"This coming from the guy who lied to us in the first place, because he wanted to save his wife and son from their deaths at the hands of  an immortal tyrant." Bucky reminded Rip who clenched his jaw in annoyance at  being reminded of his deception when he recruited them several months ago.

"Be that as it may, We've been over this..."

"Well guess what, Rip? We're over you." Sara retorted cutting him off in mid sentence. "We know this city better than anyone else and you're gonna need us there. So we're either coming with or we can find out if the Time Masters are as good at teaching people to fight as the League of Assassins."

Rip exhaled a sharp breath realizing that he didn't have much of a choice as he pressed a red button opening the door to the Star City.

**AN: Sorry for the lack of updates. But I've been busy so I haven't had the time to update.**

 


	20. Star City 2046 Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they head to old Palmer tech building, they run into some familiar faces, old and new.

 

**April 27 2016**

**Star City.**

_Wearing her black funeral dress, Laurel let out a stuttering breath as she was thinking about her father's upcoming funeral. It's never easy saying goodbye especially, when it comes to your family. Even though it's a part of life, it's pretty difficult to digest for anyone. It's a painful reminder that you're here on Earth for a short time.  She heard the front door open and she didn't even look up to see Oliver entering her apartment wearing a black suit with a black tie fitting for a funeral._

_"I've spent almost 7 years studying pre-law and law, I know it like the palm of my hand. I've learned how to get out of cuffs, how to defend myself and yet I couldn't save my father." Laurel said as Oliver sat next to her on the couch noting that she was barley holding herself together while listening to her. "I've promised Sara that I would look after him before she left. How am I gonna be able to look in  her eyes and tell her that I've failed?"_

_"Worry about that another day. " Oliver advised the Assistant D.A. Laurel turned to face him and he saw her eyes brimming  with tears. "Just focus on getting through today."_

_"I just don't know what kind of person he wants me to be." Laurel confessed, fidgeting with her fingers. "It's gonna be hard without him."_

_"I know." Oliver took her hand with his and gave it a squeeze. "But If he was still here, he would've wanted you to be better than he was late in his life."  Oliver then got up from the couch and headed to the door. He waited for her by the doorway. "It's time."_

_Laurel took a deep breath resolving herself as she rose from the couch and went with Queen Consolidated CEO closing the door behind her._

_-_

_**Star City 2046**._

The group took a walk through the ruined Star City heading to the old Palmer tech Building and although Sara didn't  show it, she was despondent of the state of the city she grew up in.

"If this is a potential future, does it matter when I kill someone?" Mick asked Rip who sighed at the question asked.

"Well, to avoid creating a paradox it would be best refraining yourself from killing anyone." Rip warned the semi reformed criminal who gave him a funny look.

"I'm not promising anything." Mick dismissed the warning.

"My sister's apartment used to be here." Sara told them seeing the road that led to her sister's apartment building.

"You mentioned something about your father being the police captain." Snart recalled.

"Your point?"  Sara inquired.

"He did one hellluva job." Snart told her bluntly.

Bucky looked over to him and glared at him. She didn't need to hear it. "Can it, Snart." 

Snart shrugged unfazed by the glare. "Just telling like it is, James. No point of beating around the bush." 

Bucky was about tell him off when his enhanced hearings heard multiple vrooms not far from where they were. That could only mean one thing. "We got company. "

"How do you know that?" Sara asked him, slightly surprised of his awareness. She got her answer as a car exploded, startling . Bucky gave her a look for even asking that question as he led his teammates to hide in an abandoned school bus seeing thugs riding on their motorcycles as they were creating mayhem.

"It's like WW3 out there." Snart quipped.

"It's beautiful." Mick exclaimed delighted as if he was in Disneyland for the bad guys. Then the Green Arrow 2.0 appeared and started firing arrows,  

Rip rose from his seat assessing the danger of the route they were currently as one of the windows . There was no way they could get to Smoak Technologies through here. "We have to take another route."

Green Arrow 2.0 did a fine job of keeping those who were terrorizing the streets at bay but a man got the best of him as he pulled out a gun and shot him on the chest. The bullet hit the bulletproof vest absorbing most of the hit as he fell down to the ground.

Having to seen that happen to the kid, Sara decided to help the kid much to both Bucky and Rip's dismay. "Sara, wait!" Bucky called trying to stop her but she'd already left and went to where the Green Arrow 2.0 was.  He let out a sound of frustration as he clenched his fists, she and Laurel are gonna be the death of him. He left the bus to make sure Sara doesn't get herself killed in process with Rip following his lead.

Rip stopped at the doorway and glanced at the two thieves. "You two. Do not leave this bus. We'll be right back." And with that he followed Buck's trail.

XXXX

It turned out the street the Green Arrow was not far from his mother's bar at the Glades. It only took seconds to get there. He was greeted with an arrow that he caught with ease from Green Arrow 2.0 while Sara appeared, standing next to  Bucky.

"Nice catch." Green Arrow quipped then looked at the two from the group that he encountered across earlier. "You two are persistent. I'll give you that."

Bucky had one question to ask the kid to get the answers that he and Sara needed. "Where's Oliver Queen?"

"Dead."  Green Arrow answered point blank, turning the voice modulator off. There's no point of hiding his voice.

Sara felt a sharp pain in her, hearing the wrenching news."How?" 

Green Arrow 2.0 shrugged. "I don't know. No one does. Not since..." He removed the hood of his face. "Since the Uprising."

"Uprising?" Sara repeated what he said, confused.

"It's just what people call it when all this happened, 15 years ago." He told them gesturing to the state of Star City. "He brought an army with him."

"Who brought an army?" Sara inquired.

A new voice spoke up behind them."I did." They turned around to see a man who wore a suit that was eerily similar to Deathstroke.  Difference was that the mask was all black including the armor. Bucky exhaled sharply as he saw the suit, remembering being Slade's pawn in his plan to destroy Oliver two years ago. It was not a pleasant time.

"It can't be." Sara breathed in shock. That's impossible. He should be dead. Then her face hardened as she drew out her batons. "How did you get off Lian Yu?" The Deathstroke that she thought she knew didn't answer which infuriated her. "Answer me, Slade!"

"Slade." He chuckled darkly. "That's a name I haven't heard in a very long time." He took off his mask revealing to be a young man with the dark hair and brown eyes similar to Slade's. "How did you know my father?"

For the second time this evening, Sara was shocked over the revelation that Slade had a son. But she recomposed herself. "I knew your father a long time ago. He was insane. Must be running in the family." She said, memories of her stay on Lian Yu entered her mind. 

Slade's son smiled but they could see in his eyes that he was angered by the insult to his father. "I'm gonna enjoy killing you all. Oh, we will!" Soon Enough, his followers wearing the same mask as Slade's son came from all corner surrounding them.

Realizing that he was badly outnumbered, the new Green Arrow fired a grapple arrow to nearby rooftop for escape. Bucky was tempted to fight them all but  he thought the best realizing that Sara and Green Arrow 2.0 needed protection as he went with them to the top of the building.

  
-

Green Arrow led Sara and Bucky to a empty parking lot building allowing the two former league assassins to recuperate. Ever since they got here, Sara was horrified to see what had happened to the City of the stars. First, Star City has become an free for all warzone and to top it all, Slade's son is picking up where his father left off by becoming Deathstroke. Sara had a lot of questions in her mind but she asked the obvious question.

"Slade had a son?"  Sara questioned the new Emerald Archer in disbelief.

Green Arrow 2.0 sighed, as he  was recalling the events that had taken place. "Oliver tried to raise a army to fight Deathstroke but... everyone just evacuated. How can you save a city that doesn't want to be saved?"

Bucky frowned as he was absorbing the new information. Seeing that Sara was blaming herself internally, he was going to try to ease the former college student's guilt. "Excuse us." He grabbed her arm gently leading her to a space. "Sara, You heard what Rip told us. This is one of many potential futures so that means it isn't set in stone which means that we can prevent this from ever happen."

"Mr. Barnes is right, Sara." Rip concurred with the former Army Ranger as he finally rejoined them. "None of this is your fault, I assure you. Vandal Savage's future is preventable,  so please, stay focused on this mission."

Sara didn't say a word but nodded to the men.  "Alright, we should go to Smoak Technologies and get that prototype." Bucky muttered.

Green Arrow 2.0 may have overheard some of the conversation the legends trio had as he spoke. "Don't bother. Smoak Technologies had been cleared out for years. A lot of Felicity's projects got  relocated." Green Arrow 2.0 informed.

"Where?"

"Follow me." Green Arrow 2.0 took point as he led them to where the equipment were.

-

To Sara and Bucky's surprise it was the bunker or what's left of it as they all stepped out of the elevator and saw the state that the base of the old Green Arrow were.

"Mr. Queen's base of operation appears to have seen better days." Rip mused holding a flashlight. Bucky was thinking the same thing, inspecting a broken device he had in his hand.

 "Well, the bunker was the first place to get attacked after Grant outed him as the Green Arrow." Green Arrow 2.0 told them.

Bucky spotted Sara staring at the empty showcases with a sad look. It was where Laurel's suit was supposed to be.  She sighed in deflation, not wanting to spend another minute here. "Let's just find  what we're looking for and get out of here." 

"Whoever's there, get out!" A old and rough voice demanded from the shadows startling the foursome as Rip drew out his six gun, Bucky repeated what the former Time master did with his side arm when the rough voice repeated his command. Green Arrow instinctually notched an arrow.  "I said, get out!" 

Out stepped an much older man that they thought died during the Uprising aiming a shotgun with his right hand.

"Oliver?" Sara whispered in surprise.

Lowering the shotgun, Oliver Queen once known as Green Arrow smiled sullenly.  "Hello Sara, Bucky. Long time no see."

-

"I'll be damned. Oliver Queen."  Bucky noted how much different the future Oliver was from the present Oliver. His beard had gone grey, and his entire left arm appeared to be missing. What the hell happened in their absence?

Sara who was shocked for the second tried to understand why he was still alive and not dead like everyone thought he was. "Everyone thinks you're dead."

"They're not wrong." He muttered. Then saw the man who picked up his mantle sill aiming his arrow. "Put the arrow down, John. You're embarrassing yourself."

"John?" Rip echoed the name as Green Arrow lowered the bow and removed his hood and mask.

"John Diggle Junior."  Oliver told them.

Bucky and Sara saw the canny resemblance to J.D's father immediately.  "My Dad is dead. Because I couldn't save him. I don't deserve his name. I'm Connor Hawke." He said.

"So you won't take his name but it's alright to parade around in someone else's outfit." Oliver deadpanned.

"Well someone has to." Connor/John retorted harshly. "Because the last time that I checked, you were dead. Everyone thought you were dead. I've been trying to protect this city by myself because I thought you were gone."

Shaking his head in disappointment, Connor/John  could only turn and walk away from them.

"What happened to you?" Sara asked, wondering what happened to everyone after she left. "To Laurel, to my dad, Felicity..."

"They're gone." Oliver answered. "All of them."

The answer was vague and it wasn't enough for  Sara. "What do you mean they're gone, Ollie?"

"Gone. What do you want me to say, Sara?" Oliver said, tried of repeating himself. "30 years ago, You, Bucky and Ray  hopped on a spaceship and you never came back."

"We will." Sara promised.

"I don't wanna say that things could've ended differently if you, Bucky and Ray have been here but..."

"but if we were, we could've made a difference." Sara finished, her eyes brimming with tears as Bucky placed his hand on her shoulder for comfort. They shouldn't have left

"You thought that I was dead, why are you all doing here?" Oliver asked them.

"We were looking for neuromorphical prototype that Felicity Smoak was working on." Rip said.

"Felicity left after everything that happened. Everything that her company was working on has been kept in a warehouse at Adams and O'Neil. Entry code is 4587." Oliver

Rip was grateful that they got the address where the prototype was stored. "Thank you, Mr..."  

Oliver cut him off not needing  a thank you as he turned around and went back into the shadows rather rudely. "You found your way in. You can find your way out." 

-

After exiting the ruined Bunker, they went to the warehouse at Adams and O'Neil with Connor/John joining them. He didn't want to spend a minute with the man who abandoned his duties.

Rip was searching the shelves for the prototype while Bucky and Sara were on guard duty.

Bucky observed that Sara hadn't said a word since they left the bunker. He can only imagine what she must be thinking. She's probably blaming herself for leaving Star City. 

"Sara."

"Please don't." Sara stopped him from asking her if she was okay.  "Not now."

Bucky sighed but respected her wishes.

A explosion took place and a new hole was made, out came some of Deathstroke's followers with batons and pipes. Sara drew out her own batons as Bucky blocked an incoming attack by grabbing his attackers wrist with his cybernetic hand in a vice grip. Bucky head butted him, breaking one of the follower's nose before spinning around kicking the attacker in the stomach, sending him back first to a pillar. Bucky parred a few punches  from another attacker before striking him in the chest taking the breath out of him. He grabbed the helmet with both his hands ramming it into his knee, rendering him unconscious. 

"There's too many of them!" Connor said while smacking his bow into the Deathstroke follower realizing  that the group of heroes were outnumbered.

Fortunately, the calvary came in the from of Mick who wore a fur coat and Snart shooting fire and ice from their respective guns casuing the Deathstroke gang to retreat running through the hole they came in.

"Gentlemen, your timing is exemplary!" Rip commented. 

Taking out the last of their attackers, Sara saw that most of her teammates were still standing. All except one. "Where's Connor?"

Bucky walked up to her holding a wooden bow that belonged to Connor. "He's been taken."

  
XXXX

"Oliver!" Bucky called out to the lonely resident in the bunker.  Sara was going to try to convince Rip to stay in Star City a bit longer so that they can save Connor. But it wasn't going to be easy to convince the rogue time master who was adamant of not altering

An annoyed Oliver stepped out of the shadows and saw Buck. "I thought I told you to go."

"There were complications." Bucky told him. "We were ambushed by Grant's men at the warehouse. They took J.J. They're planning on killing him."

Oliver sighed shaking his head sitting on a chair.  "Damnit, John."

Bucky stared at him, not believing what he was seeing. "So that's it? Just "Damnit John." You're gonna sit here and do nothing?"

Oliver shrugged. What else could he do? "He knew what he was signing up for. And you know that's nothing I can do to stop it." 

The phrase How low the mighty have fallen couldn't have been more fitting at this moment.  It describes the fallen hero of Star City. Bucky shook his head in bewilderment. "The Oliver Queen I know would never abandon his friends, especially the son of a man he considered a brother. If J.D were my own son, I would move heaven and earth to save him."

"What do you want from me, Buck?" Oliver asked, being painfully reminded of his late friend and his most trusted ally. "Look at me. I'm literary half the man I used to be." He gestured to his old broken body with.

Bucky removed his left glove to show his cybernetic hand. "Hasn't slowed me down and maybe that's what this city needs. I could take out Grant and his groupies if I want to. But I've learned from you that there's strength in numbers." He went to the weapons room to get something.

Oliver saw his bow in Bucky's hand and almost straight away protested as he knew what the once known as the Winter Soldier was attempting to do. "Bucky, don't."

"Sara and I  never got the chance to ask J.J why he's wearing your hood But I think I know why." Bucky told him, holding the bow up. "It's because Star City will always need a Green Arrow."

-

Connor struggled in his restraints as he was being dragged by Grant's henchmen while Grant himself took the lead to what appeared to be Connor's execution. A small audience was gathered to witness the end of the Green Arrow.

"You should be honored." Grant said. "This is hallow ground! I took Oliver Queen's arm. In this very spot!"  The audience cheered and Grant relished it.

"Well, then let me go and then we'll see who's tougher. Me or Queen." Connor challenged him hoping that he would be stupid enough to accept it. But to his dismay, Grant didn't take the bait as he grinned.

"I already know the answer to that." Grant replied before looking at his men. "Ready the prisoner."

Grant's men pushed Connor to his knees while restraining as Grant drew out his sword and lined it perfectly on his neck, preparing to end the resistance. He raised his sword up and swung it....

 But at the very last second, a prosthetic hand grabbed the top of the sword, preventing Grant from cutting Connor's head off.  Looking up, he saw White Wolf staring coldly at him."Sorry. But Connor's execution has been stayed." He punched Grant making him stagger a bit before making a short work of his men. He then used Grant's Katana to cut Connor free from his restraints. He tossed the sword away as he went to keep the gang busy while Connor glared at Grant who recovered from the surprise.

  
"You're not the Green Arrow. You're just a punk in a halloween costume." Grant taunted Connor.

"Funny. I was gonna say the same thing about you." Connor retorted as they engaged each other in hand  to hand. They were evenly matched.

One Deathstroke thug was about to sneak up on Bucky when he was struck by an arrow to the shoulder.  Bucky looked up to see the Original Green Arrow lowering his bow. He gave the Emerald Archer a nod of gratitude before resuming fighting the whole gang as the OG Green Arrow reloaded his bow with another arrow from the quiver with his bionic hand. White Wolf was doing a decent job of keeping the Deathstrokes occupied.

Then The Legends showed up as Atom and Hawkgirl flew in by while Snart, Mick fired ice and Fire from their weapons while White Canary swept the feets of the Deathstrokes with her dual batons.

"I see you managed to convince Rip, Sara!" White Wolf said as he rammed a head of a Deathstroke through a car window.

"Actually, It was Rip's idea to send in the cavalry." White Canary revealed to his surprise.

Grant gained the upper hand by sucker punching Connor before throwing him to the ground by his hip. Before he could finish what he began, he was hit by an arrow to the chest. Luckily it bounced off the kevlar armor. OG Green Arrow dropped down from his vantage point  and approached Slade's son.

"You wanna fight the Green Arrow?" OG Green Arrow spread his arms wide as if he was daring him to fight. "I'm right here."

Grant was willing to oblige as they began the fight. Even though OG Emerald Archer was way past his prime, his experience was more than enough to compensate for it. However  as the fight started to drag on, he was exerting himself more which wasn't good for a man in his age but unfortunately he used his strategic mind to subdue him.

 "Connor!" OG Green Arrow tossed bow to Connor who was helping White Wolf caught it before he was kicked in the chest to the ground by Grant who was about to swing his sword to kill when Connor fired an arrow that once it was near Slade's son, it launched multiple ropes that restrained him up neatly. Taking advantage of the situation, he used his bionic fist to knock him out. 

"Cowards, All!" Mick shouted seeing the Deathstroke fleeing the scene once the saw their leader defeated. White Wolf looked at an out cold Grant with great . The sins of their fathers is really a pain in  the neck.

-

Bucky looked out of the city from a rooftop of a building as the Sun started to rise during the morning when Sara joined him. 

"I was a little worried when you were late to the party." He said.

"I'm sure it wasn't something you could handle." She replied. "By the way, thanks for giving Oliver a good kick in the ass."

He chuckled. It was nothing. Oliver just needed a little motivation. "What I can say? Your sister's rubbed off on me."  He sighed, staring at the glaring Sun. "I hope you don't think that this future we've been in won't be the last."

Sara shook her head, she didn't expect it to. "No. But I sure wish we hadn't."

"I know. I know." Bucky murmured, while putting her hand on her shoulder. 

-

**April 27 2016**

**St. Michaels, Star City**

_It was a cloudy April day in Star City. The mood was despondent. Today Captain Quentin Lance was to laid to rest._

_Laurel entered St. Michael's with heavy heart as she began the painful walk to the altar where her father's casket were placed at the end. Everyone's eyes were on her making her aware that they were watching her._

_One she reached the altar, there laid the casket that had her father in it. She walked  up the steps and stood in front of it, putting her hand on the casket, barley holding herself together.  There was so much that she wanted to say but couldn't bring herself to do so. So she settled with a few sentences._

_"It's ok, Dad." She said as if she was reassuring him that she was gonna be fine. Both she and Sara. "I'll be fine. You can rest now. I'll look  after Sara. I promise."_

AN: comment kudo and bookmark for more updates.


	21. Time Pirates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With no other leads on Savage, Rip receives an emergency broadcast from a time fleet that has the latest update on the timeline. There the legends encounter time pirates, life or death situation and a betrayal from one of their own.

-

_**May 27 2016** _

_**A week after the Darhk's arrest.** _

**_SCPD, Star City_ ** **_._ **

_Laurel entered the interrogation room seeing Emily Pollard sitting across the table._

_"You went to college with Mayor Adams." Laurel began summarizing what she had learned from watching her interrogation videos and her father's video. "In fact you were her roommate so when your husband's company went out of business eight years ago due to the financial crisis, she was the first one to call."_

_"Laurel, let me explain."_

_"Explain how your loan debts was suddenly paid off directly via a shell corporation or how all the evidence in Councilman Guggenheim's disappearance conveniently pointed toward my dad?" Laurel retorted not wanting to listen any excuse that the former councilwoman had. "You found out that my Dad was about to admit his cooperation with Darhk and it all came together."_

**XXXX**

_**July 21 2015.** _

**_Emily had a guilty look on her face when she was tasked with framing Quentin for murder. But what other choice did she have?  If she doesn't do this, her son could get expelled for cheating on his midterms despite her history with Adams._ **

**_"You know what to do." Ruvé said sitting next to her in the limo._ **

**XXXX**

_**After hearing Quentin's confession, she put on white gloves so that she wouldn't leave any fingerprints. She went to get his gun from the drawer in the kitchen and headed to the dining room.** _

_**Quentin who was confused to why Emily had his gun, saw her firing two shot into Guggenheims chest, leaving him stunned by the councilwoman's action. "No!"** _

**-**

**May 27 2016.**

_"You bagged my dad's gun that had his fingerprints on it and then Adams men took Guggenheim's body dumping it in a ditch like yesterday's trash." Laurel finished the recap. "My father trusted you. How could do you that to him?"_

_Emily looked at her as if she was stupid for not knowing the reason why. "Don't you get it? It's just not about me. It's the vigilantes... They're symptoms of a cancer that plagues this city. Destroying everything they touch."_

_Laurel stared at her incredulously. "The vigilantes didn't kill anyone. The vigilantes didn't frame my dad." She pointed out the flaw in her argument as Emily started to shed tears of remorse. Laurel sighed, hating Darhk's even more now._

-  
**Temporal Zone.**

**Waverider**

_"Systems Malfunction. I'm stranded. Unable to jump and the controls are unresponsive. This is Captain Eve Baxter of the timeship Acheron. Requesting critical rescue."_

That was a emergency broadcast that Rip showed for the team just 3 minutes ago on the computer table. For the past week since leaving 2046, Rip had tried to track Vandal Savage from his office  but unfortunately he's been hitting on dead ends after dead ends, leaving him frustrated. Normally he would've gone to the Vanishing point to update the ship's CPU  but his status as a rogue Time Master made it impossible to do so. But he finally caught a break  when Gideon intercepted an emergency broadcast from the Acheron that has the update that Rip needed to find Savage's next location.

"We care about this chick, why?" Mick inquired, not seeing the point.

"We don't." Rip replied, relieved that the trail had become hot again. "But fortunately the Acheron's computer will contain the current intel of Savage's whereabouts." Rip looked up to the ceiling giving out command to the AI. "Gideon, set a course for the Acheron's position in deep space."

_"Of course, Captain."_

Stein had a marveled smile as his eyes lit up like a christmas tree.  "Deep space? I had no idea that we had the ability to explore the unknown realms of  the galaxy. Astonishing!"

Bucky muttered a few curse words as he gave a a rather smug Sara 10 bucks who took it with a smirk. he then turned to Rip with some doubts about the validity of the broadcast.  Something was off about this. "Rip, Don't you think it's a little too good to be true that this literary dropped at our doorstep? How do we even know this is not some trap set out by the Time Masters?"

"We don't." Rip admitted. "But what we do know that Savage's trail has gone cold so unless Gideon can upload the data from the Acheron's computer..."

"I'm in." Mick said surprising everyone. 

"You are?" Snart echoed what others were thinking.

"The sooner we end Savage, the sooner I end up back where I belong."

"Prison?" Stein correctly guessed.

"Any prison on Earth is better than this one, professor."

"Gideon!" Rip commanded as everyone strapped themselves in their seats. Rip punched in the coordinates for the Acheron. "Engines to full throttle!"

_"Of course, Captain."_

-

Deep space. The last realm in the Galaxy that had not  been explored. Bucky couldn't help but be amazed of how huge the universe really was as he looked out of the huge window in front of him while Ray was pretending to be Captain Jean Luc Picard from Star Trek much to Kendra's amusement and Snart's annoyance. Rip left the ship with Stein, Jax and Mick, leaving Bucky in charge due to his field experience.

"Nervous being the captain, Buck?" Sara teased as she stood next to him starring out of the window.

"Not as nervous as you were during school play when you performed that tap dance improv as Peter Pan." Bucky teased back making Sara's cheeks turn red in embarrassment of being reminded of the most scarring event in her childhood. Wanting to move on from  that horrible moment, she quickly recalled something else.

"Ha. Ha." Sara said sarcastically punching his arm. "But seriously though, did you notice that Mick is more of a hot head than usual since leaving Star City that was like Disneyland for Felons?"

He saw it too. Since leaving Star City 2046, Mick's grown more agitated than usual."Yeah, I did, unfortunately. I just hope that it won't blow up in our faces."

The Waverider received an incoming transmission and it was not Rip as a rugged man in his late 40s appeared on the computer screen. "I would like to speak with acting Captain Bucky Barnes."

Sara glared at him for jinxing it once again. "You know it's your fault for saying that?" Sara went to the table with the others. Bucky sighed as he went to address the man.

"You're looking at him. Who are you?" Bucky demanded.

"I'm the man holding your crew hostage." He said simply, making everyone tense except Bucky and Snart that kept their cools. 

"Captain Barnes. I've informed Mr. Valor of the fire retribution that may rain down upon him if we are not released immediately." Rip spoke confidently behind Valor. Valor merely hummed turning around to face the captain before punching Rip in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him. Valor pressed Rip's head into the controls as he stared at the screen.

"I'm gonna make this real simple. Surrender your ship and i'll drop you off unharmed in a place and time of your choosing. You got 10 seconds to decide." Valor threatened.

"Or what? You're gonna steal the Waverider because that's not gonna happen." Bucky said making everyone on board of the said Waverider gritting their teeth hoping that he wouldn't get Rip killed.

"True. But Right now, I got my sights set on Captain's head." Valor sneered, aiming his sidearm at the side of Rip's head, showing them that he was not messing around.

"I would not underestimate Captain Barnes's resolve, Mr Valor. After all, he spent three years as a prisoner in Siberia." Rip mumbled. It seemed to have done something to the Waverider as all the lights in the main bridge turned, alarm bell sounded through the speakers.

"Gideon?" Kendra asked the Ship's AI of what was going on.

 _"Captain Hunter programmed me to execute certain protocols in response to specific key words."_ Gideoninformed them.

"What does that mean in English?" Snart asked impatiently.

 _"Strap yourselves in. We're on the move and preparing to fire."_ Gideon said. Everyone went to seats putting the safety straps on their upper body as the Waverider fired at the Acheron.

"What you're doing, Gideon?" Snart hissed.

_"Just a warning shot to let them know that we mean business..."_

"My partner is on that ship." Snart reminded  cutting Gideon off. Soon after the reminder the ship was rocked by a blast to the ship which was not good as they soon learned.

"That can't be good."  Bucky muttered. 

 _"There's a hull breach on the aft portion of the ship and the pirates have taken out the telemetry controls."_ Gideon Reported.

 _"Think fast Buck. You're the acting captain now."_  Bucky thought to himself. "Gideon, Switch to manual." He ordered, lifting the straps up as he went to give out orders to his fellow teammates. "Sara, Snart, get to the engine room. Ray, help me navigate the ship."

"What would I do?" Kendra asked wondering what role she would have.

"Make sure that Picard and Kirk doesn't get us all killed." Snart told her as he and Sara exited the main bridge.

"You know I actually feel like Professor Sulu right now! Or Han Solo!"  Ray quipped as Bucky kept an eye on the missile that had just been launched from the Acheron was about to hit  the thrusters when the missile steered off.

"Gideon, what just happened?" Bucky asked.

 _"The Acheron's weapons system had just been disabled manually."_ Gideon Informed him and Ray making them look at each other in confusion before it dawned on them.

"Professor Stein."  Ray said. "He must've stayed behind in the jump ship when Rip and others got captured by Valor."

"Score 1 for the professor." Bucky replied. "C'mon, We gotta check on Sara and Snart."

-

As they went under the main bridge, they ran to the engine room where they saw Sara and Snart hugging themselves to keep their bodies warm from the cold. Bucky considered smashing his metal fist through the door glass but he didn't wanna take the chance, due to the certainty that he may get them killed in the process.

"Glad that you guys stopped by!" Sara shouted behind the door.

"Hang in there, Sara! We're gonna get you and Snart out of there!" Bucky assured them.

"Is there another option?" Sara muttered sarcastically.

"Don't mean to rush you boys but it's getting awfully cold in here."  Snart said.  "Normally I wouldn't mind but..." 

"Gideon, Can you open these doors?"  Bucky requested.

_"The Bulkhead is designed to remain shut until the breach is sealed."_

Just their luck. Bucky sighed. "How much time do they have left?" He asked Gideon preparing himself for the worst.

_"Approximately 10 minutes until their bodies start to shut down from hypotermia."_

"Well that's reassuring." Sara deadpanned.

-

**4 minutes Left.**

This was a bad idea. Of all the bad Ideas. And it was Ray of all people that came up with it. He was gonna fix the breach outside the ship using his Atom suit. In space. 

Bucky watched from window Ray picking up where Snart left off while Kendra was biting her nails nervously hoping that the oxygen levels would be enough to sustain him.

"Can I ask you something?" Kendra asked Bucky who nodded a yes. "Did Sara really do a tap dance number as Peter Pan?"

Bucky chuckled. "You heard that?"

She shrugged sheepishly. She was curious. She couldn't help herself. "Sorry."

Bucky wasn't angry at all. She was just asking. "That's fine." He thought back to when he first met Sara and Laurel at the school. "It was at Starling Elementary. My mom and I were sitting front row at the school play. And then Sara came out dressed as Peter Pan because that's the role she was given. Then when the first act began, she got a serious case of stage fright, completely forgetting her lines. Then she did a tap dance improv and I gotta admit a pretty good one too. And then she ran off stage crying."

Kendra laughed whole heartily at Sara's expense. "That must've been a terrible experience for her."

"It was." Bucky said. "She didn't leave the janitor's closet for an hour at least."

-

"This is not as bad as the time where Buck and I got back home from Starling park in the back of a freezer truck because I spent all our bus money to buy hotdogs." Sara recalled as she and Snart were sitting really close in the engine room. It was getting dangerously cold.  "Of course he blew up 10 bucks trying to win a stuffed bear for a redhead."

"What was the gal's name?" Snart asked.

"Dolores. He called her Dot." Sara answered.  
-

**2 minutes left.**

Bucky was walking the floor of the main bridge patiently when Ray contacted him after being resuscitated back to life by Kendra.

" _Bucky. It's done. I patched up the hole in the hull."_ Ray informed him hoarsely.  _"You can tell Gideon to seal the air lock now."_

Best news he had all day. Bucky sighed in relief as he gave out the command to Gideon who complied to it. "You ok Ray? Because you sounded like you went through hell."

 _"You could say that. It's the last time I ever emulate my heroes from the movies."_ Ray said.

Bucky chuckled in amusement. "Don't. You pretty much saved our asses by doing that."

 _"Captain Barnes, Mr. Rory has just entered the Waverider from the Acheron and he's not alone."_ Gideon  informed  him.

"Rip, Stein and Jax with him?" Bucky asked hoping some more good news.

_"No. It's the time pirates."_

Furrowing his eyebrows, Bucky was confused why the pirates was with him for a moment until it hit him. Mick sold them out.  "Son of a bitch."

He left the bridge in a hurry to hopefully warn them that Mick joined the other team. But it was too late as he arrived at hallway seeing the pirates aiming their blasters at Ray Kendra, Snart and Sara who had just left the engine once the hole in hull was repaired. Mick was standing with the escapees from the Acheron.

 _"So much for honor among thieves."_  Bucky thought to himself, glaring harshly at the short tempered traitor.

"What you're doing, Mick?" Snart sneered.

"Getting us home." Mick replied. "Are you in?"

Left with a ultimatum,  Snart charged up his cold gun and stood in the middle of the hallway contemplating  his pick."Time to choose a side."

Snart looked at Mick before announcing his choose. "Chosen."  He blasted nearby nearby pirate with his cold gun infuriating his now former partner.

"Bastard!" Mick growled as Bucky used the surprise to disarm a pirate by grabbing the blaster hitting the pirate on the forehead before blasting him. He fired some more rounds forcing the intruders to take cover as Mick ran off to the engine room to get the time drive.

"Sara, get to the engine room, we'll hold them off!"  Bucky told her, bashing a incoming pirates head with the butt of the rifle, rendering her unconscious.  Seeing the hesitation from his long time friend who was taking cover, he repeated the command firmly. "GO Now!"

She ran down the hallway with Snart following her as Ray blasted some of the intruders still in  his exosuit while Kendra used her fists to handle the rest. Bucky sensed someone from behind and used his metal fist to back hand the pirate, breaking her nose in the process.

Once the pirates were all down, Bucky contacted Sara via ear comm. He hoped that she and Snart prevented Mick from getting the Time Drive "Sara, did you stop Mick?"

_"Yeah. We got to the engine room just in the nick of time. How about you guys?"_

"The hostile takeover has been cancelled." Bucky said simply. 

-

There was a uncomfortable silence settling down in the Captain's Office as everyone pondered on how to deal with Mick following his betrayal. The CPU had been updated with the latest intel of the timeline. It was a gift from Baxter for helping her in recapturing Valor and his band of time pirates.

"Ok, I'll say it. Why don't we just drop him back in 2016?" Ray suggested. Bucky shot down the idea immediately.

"We can't because of a number of reasons: Leonard's sister lives in 2016. My mom lives there along with my girlfriend who happens to be Sara's sister, Martin's wife and not to mention Jax's mother." Bucky listed them. "Should I go on?"

Ray sighed, conceding to the point. "Never mind."

"So what, we're just gonna leave him in the brig until we take down Savage?" Jax inquired. 

Rip shook his head. It would be unwise to do so. "No, no, no, no. The brig is unsuitable for long term incarnation."

"Leaving him free roaming the ship is not a option either." Sara said.

Snart sighed. It all falls down on him. He started this mess in first place and now's he gonna be the one to clean it up. "I'll handle it."

"By handling, you mean kill him?" Stein assumed.

"I  _said_ , I'll handle it." Snart repeated what he said, leaving no room for debate. He didn't say kill, he said he'll handle this mess. Nothing more.

-

**2004**

**Starling City**

_Sob. That's Bucky heard when he came by Laurel's room. He quietly opened the door to see Laurel covering her face with her face, crying her eyes on her bed. His heart broke in pieces._

_"Everything ok?"  He asked_

_She sniffled shaking her head vigorously. "No. Ollie cheated on me,_ _**again** _ _."_

_Bucky sighed sitting next to her. There it was.  "Who was it this time?"_

_"Sara." Laurel muttered venomously._

_He did not see that coming. "What? How?" He inquired thinking about all the possible scenarios of Laurel  finding out about Sara and Oliver. All of them not good._

_"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I'm_ **_done_ ** _. I'm through with Oliver."_

_-_

**AN: Don't forget kudos and comment for more updates.**

 


	22. Chronos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bounty hunter Chronos attacks the Legends following a mission in the late 50s, causing them to leave some of the members stranded. Rip and others must rescue them before Chronos attacks again.

**December 18 2014**

**Rengoku Temple.**

**Japan, Asia.**

_Master Krigi was observing a foreign student who was taking his clan's test of honor to see if she was worthy of their training with his most accomplished student Lady Shiva. Seven months ago, she arrived to the temple, grieving her sister's death and wanting to capture her sister's killer. Out of pity, he let her drink with his clan, eat with them, training with them and now he was there to see if she's truly one of them._

_He was truly fascinated by the female foreigner's determination to rise from her failures when she started her training. No matter how many bruises she gained on her body, she always seemed to get back up on her feet as it progressed. As her personal guidance, he taught her to withstand the agony of the pain, using the environment to subdue her opponents, using her body as a weapon against her enemies bigger than her and control the anger that she carried within. He also trained her in weaponry: swords, knifes, etc._

_Once she completed her test as she brought her knee to her last opponent's jaw knocking him out, she took a moment to breath seeing all her enemies laid out at her feet. The elderly man left his spot and walked towards her and stood in front of the female foreigner who kneeled before him, bowing her head in respect._

_"I am impressed. And I am rarely impressed." Master Krigi said out of admiration. "You have earned our respect and proven yourself worthy. You will be given the instruction you seek." The female foreigner stood up and removed her hood showing her face that belonged to Laurel Lance as Krigi placed his hand on her shoulder. "Now, get to the kitchen and make tea for all of us. There is much to discuss."_

_"Yes, Master." Laurel complied as Krigi lead her back to the temple while Shiva was awaiting them by the gate._

-

**Harmony Falls, Oregon 1958.**

Bucky let out a breath feeling exhausted as he sat on the bed of the seats in the main bridge. That was one tough mission in Harmony Falls, Oregon 1958. Savage was residing at that point of time according to the intel they got from Captain Baxter. Several people had mysteriously gone missing for the past several weeks for unknown reasons and Savage was the most likely suspect in this. So naturally they went undercover to investigate and boy did they find out the reason in a big way. Turns out that Savage was experimenting on the missing people while posing as doctor Curtis Knox at a psychiatric facility, turning them into hideous flying monsters, the ones that nightmares are made of. And accidentally Jax got caught in his web becoming one of his flying monkeys sort to speak. Luckily with the extensive medical Stein had he was able to create an anti dote to counter the mutagen and they went to cure the Hall c patients with Savage retreating including Jax.

They were waiting for Sara, Kendra and Ray to return when the timeship got rocked by a blast causing Bucky to steady himself for a moment or two before running to the main bridge where he saw Chronos who somehow had found his way into the Waverider firing on Snart and Rip who was taking cover behind the seats.

Acting fast, he tackled Chronos buying Snart and Rip enough time to escape to the hallway. Chronos used his helmet to head butt him, stunning him. Chronos shot him with his rifle sending him back first to the wall, head bouncing off it. Chronos stomped his boot into Bucky's face knocking him out.

-

**Med Bay**

Bucky groaned as he groggily opened his eyes to see Ray standing in front of him wearing a beige suit.

"Hey, Buck. Glad you didn't die because it would've been extremely awkward if you did."

He got up from his seat rubbing his chest that got hit. His chest felt that one time Sara dared him to smoke a cigarette. Yes, his teen self lived for danger. Good thing he had a healing factor that came with the super soldier serum. "What did I miss?" Bucky asked giving Ray a look over of what he was wearing. He looked like a nerdy professor.

-

**Temporal Zone**

"So, you guys are telling me after Chronos attacked us, he overrode the security protocols forcing the Waverider to time jump leaving Sara, Kendra and Ray stranded in 1958 and then hijacked the jump ship with Snart as his hostage." Bucky summarized what he just learned after getting the cliff note version of what transpired when he got knocked out in the main bridge. while Bucky was in the med bay, Kendra and Ray spent two years in Harmony Falls before they were picked up by the Waverider 1960.

"Yes." Rip nodded. "And Chronos sabotaged the navigation system in the process so we have no means of locating Ms. Lance."

Bucky sighed glancing at Ray. "Ray. Before Sara left, did she give you any indication of where she was heading? Any clue?" Bucky questioned him.

Ray shook his head no. " Nothing. Just said she was going to a place where she belonged and left."

"Mr. Barnes, you know Sara better than anyone in this room." Rip said knowing their long history. "Where do you think that she possibly could've traveled to? Where she felt most comfortable?"

Bucky thought about where Sara could've traveled in that time period. Star City was too obvious. There was no chance that she's in Central City, her mother wasn't born until three years later and moved there after divorcing from Quentin 6 years ago. Which left...

 _"Son of a bitch."_ Bucky thought as he had a eureka moment. "Rip. Tell Gideon to set a course for Nanda Parbat." Bucky told him.

-

"What's Nanda Parbat?" Jax asked as everyone gathered around at the computer table.

"It's a hidden city in the Hindu Kush mountains near the border of Afghanistan." Bucky explained to them. "It's the home of the League of Assassins."

Everything made sense to most of the members including Rip who recognized the name already as he punched in the coordinates. He studied the League's history in his final year at the Time Master's academy. He even wrote an thesis about them in the exam. "James, Are you quite certain that Sara went to the place where she was trained to be an assassin by a secret organization 50 years prior to when she initially joined?" Stein inquired Bucky.

"Positive." Bucky replied. "Gideon, do you have the shadow record of every member that had been in the League since it was founded?"

 _"Yes, Mr. Barnes."_ Gideon replied.

"Bring it up." Bucky commanded and an ancient text appeared on the screen confusing them.

"Fascinating except the sheet arks of papyrus appears to be entirely blank." Stein commented.

"The League uses invisible ink that is only known to its members including their leader, Ra's al Ghul who has lived for over 600 years." Bucky told them as the AI scanned the sheets in hopes to find Sara's name on them.

"Thanks to the Lazarus Pit." Ray added. Stein looked at him wondering what it was. "It's basically a life extending jacuzzi located in a place that's the opposite of life extending."

"You should count yourself lucky, Dr. Palmer." Rip said skimming through the names with his eyes. "Only a handful of outsiders have been inside the League's fortress and lived to tell the tale."

 _"You are correct, Captain."_ Gideon occurred before alerting them of her findings.  _"There is a mention of Ta-Er AL Sahfer."_

"it means The Canary in Arabic." Bucky told the ones who didn't understand the language. "It's the name that was given to Sara. Says here that she joined the League after leaving Harmony Falls."

"And that's why we're going to save her." Rip declared. "Ra's Al Ghul is a controlling and very homicidal fanatic."

"Strap yourselves in." Bucky said, buckling himself up along with anyone else on their seats.

-

**Nanda Parbat 1960.**

The Night had just settled in the home of League of Assassins asBucky was taking the lead leading the team to a secret entry only known to its members.

Stein was feeling a bit uneasy around the hidden city. "Perhaps Jefferson and I should..." Stein suggested but Rip shot the professor down immediately.

"Extraditing Sara from the likes of the League requires stealth, so no Firestorm for the two of you." Rip said gesturing both Stein and Jax before instructing Ray. "And you're out of practice so no Atom suit unless  _absolutely_  necessary." 

Bucky sensed something behind them as he looked up to see a League member dropping down on them. "Watch out!" Bucky pushed Ray and Kendra back before kicking the assassin in the chest sending back first to the mountain. He swung his metal fist hitting the assassin in jaw, knocking him out.

"Thanks."  Ray breathed in relief. Seeing the guard had been taken care of, Rip went to open the entry door leading inside the fortress.

"Guard the exit while I get Sara." Rip Informed the team of what they were gonna do "We'll be in and out of here faster than anyone can say Ra's al Ghul."

"Rip?" Bucky said, causing Rip to look at him in question of what he was going to tell him. "Be careful." Rip nodded taking his word seriously before entering the fortress.  As Bucky glanced at the assassin that was knocked out, he got an idea in his head, staring at the black hood. Plan B in case Rip got caught.

-

"لقد وجدت الدخلاء! كانوا يحاولون التسلل إلى منزلنا عند المدخل الشمالي!" (I found intruders! They were trying to infiltrate our home by the north entrance!)  Bucky disguised as the League Guard shouted while he dragged Ray by the arm. Kendra, Jax and Stein were following them in the hallway. Soon enough Sara who once more was a League member stepped out of with her squadron of assassins at her  command that had Rip in chains on his wrists.

"Sara." Kendra said, seeing her for the first time in two years.

"Found her." Rip muttered, sarcasm evident in his voice. then noticed Bucky wasn't among the captured. "Where's James?

"صمت غريب!" (Silence Gareeb!) Bucky said walking over  and punched him in the gut,hard.  He brought the captain down to his knees who was out of breath after that punch.  Ray, Kendra, Stein and Jax cringed.

"تحكم في نفسك!" (Control Yourself!) Sara ordered him to stand down and knowing the rank he was while playing the part as the guard, Bucky obeyed to the command. "أين هو الدخيل الآخر؟" (Where's the other intruder?)

"قتل. بيدي." (Killed. By my hand.) Bucky informed her making Rip's hope diminish. Bucky felt  slightly bad but it was necessary.  "حارب بشكل جيد ولكن كنت أفضل له." (He fought well but i was his better.)

Sara nodded, pleased of the news. "حافظ على هذين منفصلين." (Keep those two separated.) Sara commanded, pointing her finger to the two halves of the Firestorm. Her men complied to the order as they split both Jax and Stein apart to make sure they won't turn into Firestorm.

Playing his part, Bucky went to get the miniaturized Atom suit from Ray's left jack pocket and handed it to Sara. 

"لنذهب!" (Let's go!) Sara ordered, heading to the prison cells with her men following  the captured Legends excluding Bucky who were among the elite guards.

-

Once they were all chained and separated from each other in their cell, Bucky who couldn't risk blowing his cover guarded the door while Sara left the room despite the pleas from her teammates after having a word with them claiming that the League was now her home. That stung him a bit but he kept his cool. Not only that but she informed them that they were to be executed in a hour.

Once Sara was out of sight, Bucky went to get the keys he got from pick pocking one of Sara's men, he pressed  the key into the keyhole turning it left as he opened the door, allowing him to enter the cell. 

"Sorry for that punch, Rip. But I couldn't risk blowin' my cover." Bucky apologized removing the hood and mask revealing himself to Rip who was never more relieved than he was right now. 

"It's quite alright, James." Rip reassured him. "I must admit, you had me fooled there for a moment which is very difficult to do."

"Any chance you can break us out of here because these chains are very uncomfortable?" Ray pleaded gesturing to his restrains. Bucky shook his head no.

"I can't. If Sara find out that I aided your escape, she'll figure out my ruse and we'll be all screwed."

That did not settle well with most of them. "Great. Thanks a lot man. You were very helpful." Jax deadpanned.

"At least be glad that was me who alerted the guards. If there were anybody else, you would've been executed on sight without an audience." Bucky said bluntly, making Stein gulp in terror muttering 'oh dear'. Looking apologetic at the professor briefly, Bucky turned to face Rip for some answers.  "Any idea what's happening to Sara, with the whole Total Recall thing she got going on?"

"Unfortunately yes." Rip replied. "She's been effected by time drift." At the puzzled look he got from Bucky, he explained to the former army ranger what it was. "When one spends too long in an alien timeline, you're loosing ties to your former self, former identity."

Kendra gasped as everything clicked in her head. "Oh my god. I didn't understand it before but... my powers, they went dormant."

"What you're talking about?" Ray inquired.

"My wings.  You must've noticed that I haven't been able to  _hawk_  it out in two years." 

"I just thought that you didn't want to."

Bucky turned around and gave the two lovebirds a moment while he thought about the prediction they were in. There's no way that they were gonna escape without exposing himself and Ra's does not take intruders kindly. He's a man of honor and tradition, something that the League has uphold dear for centuries.

 _"Tradition. That's it."_ Bucky thought as a light bulb switched on in his head. "I think I know how we can get out of here and get Sara back." He said making them to look at him.

-

He didn't have much faith in God as he used to but Bucky prayed to Him that this plan was gonna work as he watched Kendra clashed swords with Sara. Kendra was doing well so far but he feared Sara's vast experience would soon trump former Barista's training. The plan was that Rip was gonna try to convince the Demon's head to have a trial by combat with the condition that if any of the captives were to beat Sara, Sara would be free and their execution would waver off. It worked mostly. Now all he can do was hope that Kendra would activate her powers soon enough.

 _"Come on, Kendra."_ Bucky prayed in his mind as Sara expertly disarmed Kendra of her sword and held her at point, the tip of the sword was near Kendra's chest. That was enough motivation for Kendra to activate her powers that had been dormant for almost 2 years as her wings sprouted out and pushed Sara in Midair against the wall.  Sara stabbed one of Kendra's wing causing them to retreat back, falling down to the ground while Sara landed on her feet gracefully. Kendra was down and Sara was about to deliver the finishing blow.

"No!" Ray shouted  hoping that Sara wouldn't go through with it.

 "Sara Natalie Lance. Don't. You're better than this. You're not Ta Er Al Safher. You're  White Canary." Bucky whispered, making Sara freeze. She could've sworn that she heard Bucky's voice somewhere in this room.

"Bucky?" 

Before Ra's Al Ghul  asked her who this "Bucky" was, their hearings soon picked up some disturbance from above, specifically the league soldiers being killed off one by one.

"I know that sound." Kendra muttered hearing the familiar pow sound from a blaster.

"Chronos." Bucky snarled gripping the bow tightly.

 Soon enough Chronos arrived at the League's doorstep bursting through the gate  and all hell broke loose.

The league members fired arrows at him but they were useless against him as they simply bounced off  Chronos futuristic armor. Chronos began the slaughter by killing anyone who stood in the way which were the league members. 

"حررهم. هذه هي الطريقة الوحيدة"  (Free them. It is the only way.)  Sara told Ra's seeing the guards were dropping like flies. But that wouldn't be necessary as they soon learned.

Deciding that he's had enough of staying in the shadows, Bucky notched an arrow from the quiver and fired it through the  barrel, causing the blaster to malfunction and exploded stunning Chronos as he fell to the ground. He's got a score to settle with the Time Masters most deadly bounty hunter. 

"Get up!" Bucky snarled, urging him to get back up and fight him like a man. Growling while standing up, Chronos was more than happy to oblige although this time, Bucky Barnes was prepared.

Chronos charged at Bucky swinging his gloved fist but Bucky blocked the incoming fist with the bow and struck his head, then his stomach with the mentioned bow. He swiped the bow at Chrono's legs, hitting the knees twice. Chronos tried to backhand him but Bucky parred it with his free hand and punched Chronos across the face with the bow before twirling  himself around as he spin kicked him on the face, knocking the bounty hunter to the ground.

Angered of how the fight started, Chronos got back up and swung his fists but Bucky was more than capable to block his attacks before counter attacking him by Bucky smacking the bow on his rib cage.  But he wasn't fast to react to the blow to his head by  Chronos, The bow was released from his hand during his fall as Chronos picked him up and was about to headbutt Bucky when Bucky who recovered fast, pressed his knee to the stomach stopping the attack before striking his helmet once more with his metal fist, dazing him. Bucky kicked Chronos right  knee down, making the bounty hunter kneel unwillingly. Bucky took a hold of Chronos left wrist, twisting it to the side, breaking before doing the same to his other wrist, rendering him useless to fight any longer. He clenched his metal fist swinging it and hit Chronos knocking him down.

The legends were gobsmacked of  how the former Army Ranger handled his own against Chronos even as far as defeating him. Ra's was widely impressed. "That was awesome." Jax commented. 

Bucky stared down at the defeated bounty hunter. "Now let's see what's under the helmet." Bucky said as he removed the helmet from Chronos head and the team excluding Sara and Bucky gasped in shock seeing who Chronos really was.  It was Mick who supposedly had been killed by Snart or so they thought. He was the Time Master's bounty hunter.

"Dear God." Rip whispered in horror.

"There is no God." Mick/Chronos snarled before Bucky knocked him out with his metal fist as a little payback for the attack on the Timeship. Snart who escaped from his confinement in the jump ship minus his hand stumbled through the gate seeing the scene before his very eyes.

"Oh great. I missed it all."

-

Bucky was patiently waiting for Sara and Rip to return with out the hood and the mask in the hallway when a little girl walked up to him with a lily in her hand.

"Thank you for protecting my father." The girl said giving the lily to him who accepted the gift. 

"No problem, kid." Bucky said, smiling kindly down at her. "What's your name?"

"Talia."  The girl told him her name.

"Talia, may I have a moment with الذئب? There are urgent matters to discuss." Ra's said as he appeared in the hallway. "(The Wolf)"

Talia bowed her head in respect. "Yes, Father."  She left without hesitation leaving the two men alone.

"Is it done?" Bucky inquired.

"Yes. Ta Er Al Safher has been freed from the League and she is allowed to return to your allies." Ra's informed. Then he addressed Bucky. "Now, normally, I would have you imprisoned and your head would be severed from your shoulders for trespassing but seeing that you saved the League from extinction, I'm conflicted of my decision. Given the skills you displayed during your battle with Chronos, you too were once a member of the League, in the future."

"You don't sound surprised." Bucky noted of how  Ra's wasn't shocked of the knowledge of time Travel.

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Ra's recited Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous writer of the Sherlock Holmes books. Bucky nodded recognizing the quote. it was his grandmother's favorite books. "Now, I've come to a realization that you have earned our gratitude. The League and I are forever in your debt." 

Bucky nodded his head in appreciation of his wise decision."Thank you.  Before I leave, there's a something that you should know. January 2012. I'll be seeking refugee in Nanda Parbat. Have one of your men get my younger self so I'll join the League for protection from the evil that had made me commit sins on their behalf."

"It will be done." Ra's complied to the request.

-

**Temporal Zone**

**Waverider**

"You think this is all over? I will kill every single one of you! I will watch you all burn!" 

They all watched Mick ranting like a madman in the cell at the Bridgade. The Time Masters really did a number on him.

"At least he hasn't lost his charming personality." Bucky quipped before leaving the brigade. He exhaled a breath he didn't know he held. Sara followed him and stood in front of him.

"You ok?" She asked concerned that it might brought back some unpleasant memories

"Seeing Mick like this I kinda feel sorry for him. Being the Time Master's attack dog, having to kill many on their behalf." Bucky mused. "It takes a toll on your mind."

Seeing that he was having a moment of comparing himself to Mick, Sara tried to reassure the man she considered a brother that it wasn't his fault. "You're not like Mick, Buck. What you did at ARGUS... That wasn't you. You didn't have a choice. You were brainwashed."

"You're right. But I did it anyway and I wasn't like Mick at all. I was worse." Bucky replied. Sara furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "He's a criminal Sara, who likes to torment people but me? I killed for the sheer pleasure."

Sara was taken back by the confession. He liked killing people? "What?"

"I enjoyed being the Winter Soldier, Sara." Bucky admitted. This was a part that he didn't tell anyone. Not even Laurel. "Waller took me out of Hell, setting me loose on her targets and I relished it. The years I spent at ARGUS, all that pain I've endured, be finally able to dish it out yourself: I didn't care who was in front of me. It was if the pain I felt, just faded away." Bucky shook his head in disgust remembering the pleas for mercy from his victims. "No matter how many people I save, I can't change that. I can't fill this hole. Not ever."

Silence fell on them as Sara looked at him with sympathy, recalling her own bloodied past as an assassin for the League while Bucky thought about when he dies, there's gonna be a special place in Hell for him. It seemed that no one was perfect after all.

**AN: I know that the fight didn't have the entire legends fighting together but come on, Bucky is a supersoldier who is more than capable of handling Chronos. Mick is a good fighter but he's not at the level of Bucky or Sara.**

 


	23. Dissolve and Refresh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow Disbands following the arrest of Damien Darhk. Mick and Bucky comes to an understanding through unexpected ways.

**May 20 2016**

**The Bunker, Star City**.

_It's been two hours since Damien Darhk and his wife were arrested following the shocking video of Quentin's dying declaration that was posted on Social media and yet it felt like they lost than won. They have been emotionally affected by the war against Darhk, some more than others._

_Oliver, Diggle, Felicity and Thea were gathered around the table pondering about where do they go next. Laurel still hadn't returned.  "You ok?" Oliver asked Diggle._

_Diggle shook his head slowly. He wasn't, not by a mile. "Not really. I told Lyla the truth about Andy."_

_Oliver wasn't surprised. He would've done it sooner or later because the guilt was eating him alive. "How did she take it?" He inquired wondering how the ARGUS director reacted._

_"She's a soldier. She understood." Diggle replied. "But I don't and I don't think I ever will."_

_"What are you gonna do?"_

_Diggle sighed. "Take some time away from this team. Away from this city. Figuring it out where I went off track and how to get  back on."_

_"John I've never done this without you. You always kept me in line." Oliver admitted._

_Diggle chuckled, smiling faintly. "Oliver I don't know if you've been watching lately but it's the other way around, man."_

_Respecting his wishes, Oliver shook Diggle's hand firmly and then Diggle left the bunker but not before Felicity hugged him tightly, whispering 'be careful' to his ear._

_"I hate to be the bearer of even more bad news but I'm leaving too." Felicity announced her departure much to the Queens' shock._

_"You are?" Thea said, surprised._

_Felicity nodded, getting up from her seat. "I'm heading back to Vegas tomorrow with Mom. After everything with Darhk, my paralysis, the break up, Quentin's death and losing my position as the CEO of Palmer Tech. I... need some time to think about where did I go wrong and how do I recover. I just can't do it here in Star City."_

_Oliver nodded in understanding as he hugged her, harboring no ill will towards her. "Well, when you do decide to come back, remember, you'll always have a place here on this team." He reassured his ex fiancee._

_"Thank you, Oliver. And I'm sorry for how I reacted when I found out about William. By the way the loft is yours." Felicity told him as she too left the bunker. Then it were two._

-

**2147**

**Kasina Conglomerate**.

The Team had traveled 287 years into the future. 2147 to be exact. Rip told them that in two Savage was supposed to attend a shareholders meeting in Kasina, a Eastern European nation  that was come to be the foothold of Savage's empire in 20 years time. by attending the meeting they can learn how Savage became the World ruler and prevent it. But there was a problem and the problem was in the form of Mick Rory who was still being held at the Brigade. 

"Are you sure about this, Buck?" Sara asked Bucky as she put on her grey wool jacket. "I don't like leaving you with Mick alone."

Bucky nodded as he tried to reassure the college dropout. "If I can endure three years in Siberian winter, then I can handle Mick. If it's true what Rip said, that this is the way to stop Savage from taking over the world, then we should take that chance. But someone needs an eye on Mick so who better than the man who's already had the experience of being someone's puppet."

Sara sighed in defeat, seeing the logic. But it didn't ease her worries. "If anything happens, let me know right way." She told him firmly. Bucky nodded as he went to the brigade walking past Snart who had his missing hand restored.

"How's your hand, Snart?" Bucky asked the thief.

"Better than Mick's, James." Snart quipped, flexing his new hand.

-

Mick was pacing the floor of the cell like a caged animal waiting to be released from his captivity when Bucky entered the brigade and sat across him.

"Well. What a surprise. Englishman picked you to be my babysitter, Metal Arm?" Mick mused inside the cell.

"Actually I volunteered." Bucky told him. "I have a lot of questions to ask you."

"By all means, ask." Mick said, spreading his hands that were healed in the Med Bay after his capture.

"What did the Time Master do to you when they found you?" Bucky questioned Mick.

Mick shrugged. "It's what they didn't do. By the time they found me, I was weak, eating mices just so that I could survive. They remade me, training me into their weapon."

Bucky hummed to himself having somewhat of an idea. "Let me guess, they brainwashed you, tortured you and made you starve?"

"All of the above." Mick confirmed the guess. "Just like what that Argus bitch did to you when you became the Winter Soldier." He whistled to himself. "She would've fit right in with the Time Masters."

 Bucky scoffed in agreement. "Got that right." Then he frowned, realizing something. "Wait, how do you even know about Waller?"

"The Time Masters made me study all your histories, pasts, presents and futures. I gotta say, you got the worst luck of them all." Mick replied.

"Stalkers." Bucky muttered, feeling crept out about it. He shook his head in disgust, hating the Time Masters more than ever. "How many did you kill as Chronos?"

Mick shrugged nonchalantly. "I lost count at 100. Time means nothing to the Time Masters. I've been in countless timelines, past, present and alternatives."

Kinda like me. Bucky thought to himself. He too lost count of how many he'd killed on Waller's orders as the Winter Soldier. In that moment, they understood each other's bloody pasts.

-

**2010**

**Mexico City, Mexico**

" _Por favor. Tengo un hijo. No tienes que..."   (Please! I have a son! You don't have to...)_

_Senator Gracia's pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears as his life was cut short by a bullet to the head by the Winter Soldier in his office at the capital city of Mexico.  Having completed the mission objective, Winter exited the office through the front door, passing by the bodies he left in his wake._

-

**Temporal Zone**

**Brigade, Waverider**

Some time had passed as the two men stared at each other wondering who's going to be the silence breaker.

"You and I have a lot in common than you think." Bucky said breaking the silence. 

Mick narrowed his eyes at that. "Really? What exactly do we have in common?"

"Both our dads served in the Army, your dad was a Vietnam vet, mine served in the Gulf War." Bucky replied.

Even though he kept his face passive, Bucky saw the slightest eye twitch from Mick at the mention of his late abusive father.  Bucky read about Mick's childhood on his record, of how his father would sometimes beat him to escape the nightmares he had from his service in Vietnam.  There had been number of 911 calls for domestic dispute but he was never charged because Mick's mother kept quiet about it.

"Seeing that you won't open up about your dad which is understandable, I'll open up about mine." Bucky muttered then he took a deep breath preparing himself for what he was going to tell Mick. "I used to picture my dad as a superhero, that he's invincible to anything impervious like any son would but as I've gotten older, I've realized that even Dad had a crack in his armor. He would have flashbacks, waking up in the middle of the night screaming Bloody Mary because he dreamt of being back in Kuwait. They've gotten so bad that Mom threatened with divorce if Dad didn't left the Army but being the stubborn soldier he was, he refused."

Taking a moment to recuperate, Bucky continued the story. "Three months after he left for his last tour, a military officer dropped, telling my mother that they had found my old man's body. He died in combat. Mom was heartbroken, she cried in their bedroom for two hours while I was punching the kitchen wall with my fist because before he left, he promised me that he would take me to a Rockets game and he couldn't do that now that he was dead."

Bucky remembered his mother's gut wrenching sobs as he thought about that day in his head. It was an event that would have a major impact on his life. "I think that was why Mom was adamant of me not enlisting because she didn't wanna lose her baby boy like she lost her husband. A part of me wishes that I should've listened to her." 

Mick had been quiet the time while he listened to Bucky's story. "Seems that the universe screwed us both over." Mick commented.

"Then we are of the same mind." Bucky declared. "After we stop Savage, you know what happens next?"

Mick was following the same train of thought. "Road Trip." 

-

Snart went through the door entering the bridgade seeing both Bucky and Mick looking at other although without any malice.

"Has Mick been a good boy, James?"

"For the most part." Bucky answered, not taking his eyes off the man formerly known as Chronos.

"Good. Do you mind if I have a little chat with Agent 47?" Snart requested, making Bucky look at him.  "There are few things we need to discuss."

"Are you sure? Mick still seems pretty pissed off about you leaving him behind." Bucky queried.

"Don't worry about me, James. I'll be fine." 

Unconvinced by the lie, Bucky got up and left the brigade anyway. While pacing the floor of the hallway, he could hear fists hitting flesh for a few moments before hearing a thud. Reentering the Brigade, he saw that Snart was laid out while Mick sat close to him.

"You still alive down there?"  Buck asked looking down at the beaten thief. Snart moaned in response, unable to move. "I'll take that as a yes."

-

Bucky and Snart were waiting patiently in the Main bridge of the Waverider when the team walked into the bridge. 

"How did it go, Sara?" Bucky questioned the blonde. 

"Wonderful." Sara said sarcastically, not wanting to get into it right now. It was a disaster. She got curious when she saw that Snart's  bruised face behind Bucky. "Why is Snart looking fifty shades of black and blue?"

"Let's just say that he and Mick resolved their issues." Bucky told her, Sara nodded in understanding as he turned his attention to others. "Listen, guys.  We have a problem. While you were in Kasina, Mick told me something really disturbing. It's the Time Masters."

-

"Since I failed to bring you in, The Time Masters wanna bring me in and this time, they're not gonna take any chances." Mick relayed what he told Bucky earlier in detail to the team on the main bridge. "They're called the Hunters. Mercenaries and unlike me, there isn't any human part left in them."

"So they want to lock us all up at the Vanishing Point?"  Ray assumed, Mick shook his head no.

 "The hunter do one thing: Kill." Mick told him. "Whenever. Wherever and they'll stop at nothing until every single one of us is erased from the face of history." Mick then headed for the exit.

"Do you have any suggestion on how to outsmart them, Mr. Rory?" Rip asked.

"Run." 

-

  **November 2028**

**Mystic Falls Virginia**

Landon was waiting for Hope to show up when the said person appeared in the living a hurry.

"Is Josie ok? I tried to call her but she's didn't answer." Hope asked worried for the brunette Saltzman's health.

"She's fine. She's recovering in her room with Liz." Landon told her, Hope was relieved that she was ok. 

"You?"

Landon shrugged. "I've survived worse. We need to talk. _Now_." 

Frowning at the emphasis on the word Now, Hope sat across him on a chair wondering what they were gonna talk about.

"After I regained my memories of you, I had a lot of time to think about whether I should stay with Josie or rekindle my relationship with you." Landon began, making Hope understand where he was going with this. "And... I've come to the conclusion that I can't do it. I can't choose between her or you."

"Can't or won't?" Hope questioned.

Landon sighed, looking down at his feet. "Both." he admitted. 

Hope didn't know what to say to that. "Wow, I have no idea of what to say." Then she frowned as she realized something.  "Was that why you sent Beth in your place when we dealt with the Succubus before we found out that Vardemus was Clarke?"

"Yeah, because Beth will always come to your aid being your knight in shining armor. Something that I can't never be." Landon replied. 

"Landon..."

Landon held his hand up to stop Hope from making denials about her feelings for the ancient hybrid. "Don't. You can finally admit it. It's been pretty obvious even when we started dating. I mean, I practically pushed you to her after I found out that you still remember my biological mother during the Pageant and then after I regained my memories of you. She understands you, she listens to you in ways that I can't."

Hope sighed. She can't believe this was happening to her. "I'm sorry. I don't wanna lie to you anymore than I already have because you were my first real relationship. You've helped me so much and I would love nothing more than to be the girl you served that Milkshake at the Grill once more but since I came back over the summer, I became a totally different person and the more time I spent with  Beth, my feelings for her..."

"Grew." Landon finished the sentence. He chuckled humorlessly. "I've also realized that if we get back together, how long will it take before we argue over another life or death situation where you protect me from another monster? I don't want that. I wanna be able to protect myself rather than rely on others to do it for me. Not only that but I wanna be with someone who is honest with me."

Seeing there was nothing else left to say, Hope had come to her own realization that if they get back together, history will be repeating itself. "Then you know how this ends, right?"

Landon nodded, knowing what he had to do now. "I can't do this, Hope. Not anymore."

She nodded her head in understanding. "I know." Hope whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.  Landon rose from the couch and began the painful walk. He wanted to say something to her  but decided against it as he left the living room, ending the relationship. Hope started to cry her eyes out as she buried her head in her hands.

-

 **A week after the break up**. 

Hope was taking a long walk through the woods outside the school perimeters in attempt to keep her mind off the break up when her heightened senses picked up two unknown scents via her nose. Curious, she followed the scent.

"What the hell?" Hope muttered as she arrived at the site, her eyes went wide when she saw a huge impact crate containing two people. There were two men lying face first on the dirt with a weapon of sort laying above their heads.

"Oh my god." Hope breathed stepping into the crater taking a closer look of the men. One had shaved head while the other had long dark hair with a stubble. Kneeling down, she picked up her two heartbeats indicating that they were still alive. She was startled when the long haired man unexpectedly grabbed Hope's wrist with his metal hand.

"Help." He whispered. 

-  
 **AN: Christmas has come early. Don't forget comment kudos and bookmark for more updates.**


	24. Wild West

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Legends travel to Salvation Dakota 1771 in an attempt to elude the Hunters where they run into an old Friend of Rip's, Jonah Hex.

**Salvation, Dakota terrority. 1771.**

When Bucky was a kid, he would imagine himself in one of Clint Eastwood's western Movies.  He would often put on a cowboy hat and a pair of guns. He would never have thought he would be in a time where some of his favorite movies took place, wearing authentic clothes, hat a and pair of six guns. He would've enjoyed the time he was spending in the Old West if he wasn't being hunted by mercenaries on Time Masters' payroll.  They were in Salvation, Dakota that was located in a time fragmentation, a blindspot in the timeline.

 He was playing a game of Texas Hold'em inside a talon near the town square with Stein and he was doing well so far.

"Straight flush. Ace high." Bucky announced what he had, showing the five cards on the poker table. His opponent growled, tossing his own cards in frustration, like a small child over the loss of his money.

"I gotta say. you sure know how to play poker, professor." Bucky said impressed seeing that the oldedt member of the Legends had won money of his own.

"Well, My father was what some might call a degenerate gambler, others would say criminal." Stein told him. "When I was old enough, he'd pull me in on some of his schemes. I picked up a thing or two at a few of the card tables he frequented. Then I took a different path."

"Seems that the catchphrase like father like son isn't always the case." Bucky replied.

"Agreed."

A female waiter walked up and served drinks to everyone at the table. The man who lost the hand didn't take it too kindly as he grabbed her wrist roughly stopping her from leaving.  "Do I look busy to you?"

"I'm sorry. I..." The waiter stuttered in fear.

"You spill another drop of that whiskey, and you will be."

"Hey!" Bucky snapped, getting the attention of the man who was rude to the waiter. "Just because you're losing, doesn't give you the right to be a dick to her."

"That's none of ya damn business, freak."  The rude man spat and Stein closed his eyes in dread knowing the rude man was in big trouble. If there's one word Bucky hates being called, was the f word.

 Narrowing his eyes, Bucky went over the table  grabbing the man by the collar. Bucky glared coldly at the man. "The next words coming out of your mouth, better not be another insult. And If I were you, I'd apologize to her.  _Now_." He snarled.

"Now, now, boys, let's just take it easy." Snart drawled, dropping by the table having watched all that.

"Oh, when our friend here is being reasonable, we know we have a problem." Stein noted gesturing to Snart as the voice of reason.

"Exactly." Bucky said, not taking his eyes off the man. 

"I'm not the one with the  problem.  _You_  are." The rude man growled, drawing his gun out. A shot was fired causing gasps around the talon from and it was not Bucky who was shot. It was the rude man who soon after getting shot by Snart in the heart, collapsed to the floor, dead.

Bucky looked at Snart annoyed that he came to his aid. "I had it handled, Leonard." 

"You're welcome, James." Snart deadpanned sarcastically.

Unfortunately to their bad luck,  the now deceased man had friends as they rose from their seats, having saw their friend killed by Snart at the poker table.

Stein paled seeing that the rude man had compatriots, so he tried to diffuse the situation at hand. "Clearly the deceased was a friend of yours. But, uh, my friends..."

"Your friend drew first, got put down and it  was a clean shot." Snart interjected to Stein's displeasure.

"Do we look like we care about clean?" One of the men spat.

"Nope."  Bucky replied. As soon as he said that, He blocked a punch without looking before slugging his attacker one and a barroom brawl ensured, Salvation style. Everyone participated in the brawl except Mick who was passed out at the bar and Stein trying to avoid an altercation. Tables were broken, glass went into pieces, it was another day in the Wild West.

The brawl came to an end when a shot was heard from a man who wasn't involved in the brawl. "A'right!" the mysterious man bellowed making everyone stop as he rose from his seat and stepped out of the shadows into the light revealing a man who had a heavily scarred face. "Playtime's over! Everyone's got a problem with that, they answer to me."

His voice sounded like a man who had smoked too many cigarettes but it was intimating enough to make everyone back off each other. Bucky who just had smashed heads of the deceased man's allies, rejoined his friends while the scarred man walked up to them.

"Thank you, Mr..." Stein expressed his gratitude to the stranger.

"Hex. Jonah Hex." Jonah told them his name while studying them. "You're not from around here, are ya?"

"No. Uh, my friends and I are uh, from out of town." Stein admitted.

He figured it much. "Way out of town."

-

"A'right! why don't ya folks tell me where ya 're really from?" Hex demanded leading the legends out to the open. Mick stumbled out feeling drunk.

"Not sure that's none of your business, sir." Ray said a bit defensive.

"Lemme rephrase that. Tell me when y'all from?" Hex drawled, standing in front of them.  At the perplexed looks he got regarding the question, he explained why he asked when they are from.  "You eight stick out like a dog in manger."  

"Like we said, we're not from around here." Jax repeated what Stein said earlier.  But the bounty hunter knew better.

 "Ya think you're the first time travelers that I've come across?"  Hex drawled, the Legends were baffled that he knew that they were from a different timeline. 

"Uh, yes." Stein stammered in surprise.

 "Where is he? I got some words that need saying."  Hex requested.

"Where's who?" Sara inquired. The Legends weren't prepared for another shock when Hex told them the name of the person he wanted to have a word with.

"Rip Hunter."

-

Hex and Rip had met before, it was obvious based on how persistent the rogue Time Master was in avoiding the questions of their history asked by some of the members when they returned to the Waverider and how he reacted when he saw the bounty hunter on the bridge. It was like he saw a ghost.

Bucky grimaced as Mick vomited the contents of his stomach into the toilet at the bathroom. "How long had it been since you drank, Mick?" He asked, his nose wrinkled in disgust at the hideous smell.

Mick lifted his head up inside the toilet, taking a moment to breathe. "Too long. Time passes differently at the Vanishing point." Mick grunted, wiping his mouth off.  "You don't know how long it's been since I looked down at the bottom of a glass." His stomach churned once again as he dropped his head back into the toilet puking the last of the contents out.

Seeing that the vomiting had finally come to an end, Bucky handed him a bottle of water, Mick took it to clean his mouth and mask the horrible aftertaste. "Feeling better?"  Mick grunted as he gulped a mouth full of water. "I'll take that as a maybe."

-

When Mick and Bucky returned to the bridge, they saw a heated argument between Ray between Rip whether they should leave Salvation or not thanks to the barroom brawl that may attract the Hunters' attention.

"Leaving already?" Mick queried. 

"No. No." Ray protested, making a case to why they should not leave. "This town is being terrorized by the Stillwater gang and I aim to do something about it."

"You 'aim to'? You getting all native on us, Haircut?" Mick quipped, amused.

Ray continued of making the case of why they should stay. "Look. We signed on to this mission." 

"To stop Vandal Savage." Rip protested him, not wanting to listen another word.

"To be heroes." Ray said. "Now saving a town from  a marauding gang of criminals... That is what Heroes do."

Hex chuckled quietly,  amused of Ray's passion. "Quite a posse of saints you're riding along with nowadays."

"Misfits is more like it." Bucky corrected. 

-

Bucky gotta hand it to Ray, he sure knew how to play the role of the new sheriff in town pretty well because the last one quit last night.  That was evident when The Stillwater Gang with their leader Jeb Stillwater rode into the town square literary the next day, like the horsemen of the apocalypse that were looking to get raid Salvation as retribution for what happened to one of their men yesterday. Mick and Bucky were watching the stand off from a room in a hotel.

"Haircut's got balls." Mick commented, seeing Ray playing the part as Sheriff Palmer standing up to the Stillwater crew. "I'll give him that."

"He's doing good so far." Bucky added, seeing the leader arrogantly getting off his horse and approached Ray.

"Showtime." Bucky declared, picking up a rifle that was on the  table and aimed at the men that were still on their horses as Jeb was about to shoot Ray after boasting the fact that the new Sheriff was outnumbered when his gun was shot off his hand by Snart while the men drew out their guns but Bucky was quick to react as he fired five shots taking out the rest of guns off their hands.

 _"You get out of town and you don't come back or the next bullet goes in your eye. "_ Ray laid down the law in a serious tone.  _"I got sharpshooters all around, including one who served in the Civil War. You really want to_ _test_ _me?"_

Bucky chuckled shaking his head in amusement.  Civil War, huh? He'll buy it. 

Realizing that today was not the day to burn Salvation down to the ground, the Stillwater leader wisely chose to retreat. "Let's ride, boys."  Jeb commanded as he climbed back up on his horse and rode off, his men followed him like sheep out of Salvation. 

The Citizens of Salvation cheered and applauded while Ray tipped his hat as a thank you for the assistance from both Snart and Bucky.

"Nice, Haircut." Mick said, chuckling.

-

**Waverider**

"That was impressive, Ray." Bucky noted walking next to the Sheriff as the men of legends with Hex headed back to the bridge inside the timeship. "The way you carried yourself. You would've been a good soldier."

"Thanks. I always wanted to run a bad guy out of town." Ray boasted proudly. "I can check that off my bucket list."

"Bucket List?" Hex inquired not knowing what it was.

"List of things one hopes to accomplish before they die." Stein explained to Hex.

Hex hummed to himself. "You better hope it's a short list, String bean." Hex commented.

"We can handle the Still Water gang." Ray said confidently.

Rip was not too pleased of their involvement in the Western time period as he  stepped out of his office to reprimand them as always. "Well, you're all just tearing up the 1870's, aren't you?" Rip  said sarcastically with a fake smile.

"Stillwater and his gang are like a hornets' nest and your friends her keep pokin' at it." Hex said pointing his finger accusing them for bringing more heat.

Jax looked at him incredulously. "They saved the town from being raided, man."

"Today. But what about tomorrow? Or the day after that?" Hex questioned to the silence from the me who didn't have  an answer to the questions. "For a bunch of time travelers, you don't seem to understand  the future much.. The day will come. Where y'all leave and Salvation will become like Calvert."

Rip glared coldly at the Civil War veteran for even mentioning Calvert.

"What's a Calvert?" Mick inquired, sensing hostility between the two.

"A closed matter." Rip told Mick in a clipped tone while staring at the scarred bounty hunter. "A word, Mr. Hex?" He then glanced at the men. "I believe you all have done enough for one day." Rip left the bridge with Hex following for a much needed conversation in private.

"Well now I definitely wanna know what a Calvert is." Mick declared as the men gathered at the computer table.

"Me too." Bucky said, looking at the screen. "Gideon?" 

"Calvert was a town in Oklahoma circa 1868." Gideon informed them.

"Was?" Jax echoed. Gideon showcased some old pictures of the town that was raided. Houses were burned down to the ground which left the group with more questions than answers and it had to do with Rip somehow.

-  
**Last Salvation, Salvation.**

"What can I get ya, sir?" The bartender asked Bucky who entered the Saloon. He was in need of a drink and fast.

"Whiskey." Bucky told him his order.  Bartender went to pour whiskey into an unused glass and handed it to Bucky who drank it in one gulp after paying for it. Alcohol doesn't effect him as much as  it does to normal humans. 

"Is it true what String Bean said about you, Buck?" Hex said as he joined Bucky at the bar. "Ya served in the war?"

Bucky looked at him as he answered his question.  "I served. Just at a different war in a different country in my time. You?"

"For the south." Hex said. "But I was court martial for disobeyin' an direct order."

"For what exactly?"

"Slugged my old CO for being too harsh on a negro spy. Brought back some unpleasant memories. Memories that would make a brave man whimper like a hyena."  Hex snarled remembering how his old man would beat up his mother with a bottle  and then sold his own son to an Apache clan when Jonah was just seven.

Sensing that he didn't wanna talk about the memories that were clearly sensitive, Bucky dropped the subject. "Fair enough." He held his glass motioning for a refill. The bartender took the glass and poured another drink for Bucky who paid for it. 

"Is that arm real or what?" Hex asked Bucky pointing to his metal arm that had a white star imprinted on it. 

"It is real." Bucky said taking a sip of his refilled drink. "To replace the one that I lost in the war that I fought in." 

"Must've stung like a bee in a hornets' nest." Hex commented. Bucky scoffed at that. He's got no idea.  Hex glanced at the Bartender telling him that he'll have what Buck's having.

-

"We could've used Sara for this round up." Mick said as he, Bucky, Jax, Ray, Snart and Hex all rode their horses to the camp that Jeb  Stillwater and his  crew were holding up, six  miles from Salvation during dawn. Stein bribed a bartender at the Last Salvation to get the location of where Stillwater were hiding from local law enforcement earlier and it paid off.  So hex suggested an preemptive attack at Dawn.

"A lady? You crazy?" Hex queried.

"She may a lady, Hex, but she's as deadly as a rattlesnake if you get close."  Bucky said coming to her defense. Hex scoffed in disagreement. 

"Just remember we're here to arrest Stillwater, not kill him!" Ray reminded them much to Hex's disappointment.

"He always this much of a stick in the mud?"  Hex said. 

"Yes." Mick replied.

"I see the camp, dead ahead!"  Bucky shouted, picking up the pace with everyone else as they arrived at the camp. One of Stillwater's men who woke up early saw the group and tried to shoot them with his rifle but Mick jumped off his horse and tackled the man to the ground, the rifle was lost in the process. The commotion alerted the entire Stillwater gang  who tried to shoot them down but they were spread thin and the fog played to the Legends' advantage. 

"These boys got some stones!" Jeb sneered, firing on some of them until a metal hand grabbed the barrel of the revolver, causing the leader to shoot a bullet to the palm. The Metal palm was unharmed while  bullet got crushed as Bucky landed a few hits to the face with his free fist  before drawing out his sidearm and fired a Stillwater member in the stomach killing him before shooting another behind his back in seconds, he went to  pistol whipping Jeb into oblivion by using the butt of the gun to hit Jeb on the forehead.

A Stillwater member tried to shoot Bucky from behind  but his gun was shot off his hand by Jax. Bucky took the opportunity to kill the man with his sidearm. 

 Bucky picked a dazed Stillwater up with his metal arm and carried him on the shoulder to his horse. "Every dog has its day Stillwater and Today is yours!" Bucky sneered as he placed an out cold Stillwater on the back of horse before climbing back up as reinforcements joined in.

"Fall back! Fall back!" Hex shouted seeing that they had just been outnumbered as the Legends straddled their horses. One man from the reinforcements had an large lasso in his hand and threw it to seize Jax pulling him off the horse by tugging the rope.

"Jax!" Mick yelled having seeing the former All American being captured. 

"Gotta go!" Hex said seeing they were outnumbered and outgunned.

"We're not leaving him!" Bucky protested.

"We still got Stillwater which means that we got leverage. Live to fight another day or die today. Your choice." Hex told them, he called his horse to move forward. Bucky gritted his teeth knowing that the former southern army soldier was right as he and  the others  fled the destroyed camp to safety.

-

**Bridge, Waverider**

"Where's Stillwater?" Stein asked them worried for the man's well being he considered a son to him after getting the short version of what happened eariler.

"He's knocked out cold in the med bay." Ray answered.

"Well, this is an simple matter. We trade Stillwater for Jefferson as Mr. Hex suggested." Stein said, Bucky shook his head no thinking it was a bad idea.

"If we do that, Stillwater will be free and Salvation will be in deep trouble." Bucky argued.

"So is the kid." Snart pointed out.

"And we'll figure out a way to get him back without releasing Stillwater." Ray assured.

"I got a notion." Hex spoke, making all on the bridge look at him wondering what kind of suggestion he had in mind. "Set up a quick draw. You win, get your guy back. You lose, you set Stillwater free."

"And by lose, you mean..." Stein asked for clarification of what he meant.

"Get shot and killed."  Snart told him.

"Oh, great. Pistols at High noon." Stein muttered incredulously. 

"Finally, someone talking sense." Mick quipped.

Stein wasn't having none of it. "There has to be a way, a better way." Stein protested. 

"Without risking of exposing ourselves to the locals? No chance." Bucky pointed out that they were in a no win situation to Stein's deflation.

"So who's standing in the middle of Main Street?"  Mick pondered.

"Me." Bucky volunteered himself, making Rip look at him in shock. "I was one of the best Marksman in the U.S Army. Might as well live up to my reputation."

Rip could not believe that they were even having this conversation. "I can't believe you encouraged this!" Rip hissed to Hex retreating back to his office. Hex and others followed him.

"You know it's the only way." Hex said.

"I will not risk one of my own!" Rip disputed.

"I think you forfeited your right to a opinion when you refused to leave your ship since we've been here." Ray pointed out.

Rip looked at the Salvation Sheriff. "I had good reason!" 

"Because of Calvert?" Stein guessed.  Rip turned his glance to the elderly Professor.

"Yes. But not in the way you think." Rip sighed shaking his head in remembrance ."Leaving Calvert, leaving this...  _era_  is one of the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

Snart asked the question that everyone had in their mind. "And why is that, Captain?"

Rip exhaled a sharp breath seeing that they were not gonna stop pestering him of why he stubbornly refused to leave the timeship. "A Time Master is trained to do his work without interference,  which means  not helping people or being a hero. But as you've seen, Dr. Palmer This  _era_ offers many opportunities for heroism. I found it...Enticing." Rip finally admitted why he wouldn't enter the Wild West. Because he was afraid of  getting  attached again.

"And yet you managed to leave." Bucky said. Even though  Rip finally explained why, Hex still had one final question since the former time master left Calvert days before it was burned to ashes.

"Ya know, there's somethin' that's been buggin' me all these years." Hex said. "If you'd have known what Turnbull was gonna do, would you have left?"

Rip sighed as he looked Hex in the eyes. "That's the thing, Jonah. I did know." Rip confessed earning a punch to the jaw from a enraged Hex not soon after his admission, sending him to the chair. 

Rip groaned, rubbing his jaw. "I deserved that."

"You deserve a lot worse." Hex growled angrily, pointing at Rip. "You knew and you still left?!"

"Of course I knew. I was a Time Master and therein lay the problem." Rip replied getting off the chair, making an argument while gesturing to both Ray and Stein. "Like Raymond and Martin. I felt the pull of heroism, of this era's penchant for being rife of opportunities to make a difference. It's one of the things that called to me and that is why I  _had_  to leave. Because had I stayed, I could  no longer remained a Time Master."

Rip turned and faced the team. "But I'm no longer a Time Master which is why I'll face Stillwater." 

Bucky arched an eyebrow in slight surprise. Not a minute ago he didn't want to. "I thought I would be the one  

"I appreciate you volunteering James but I have to make amends for my inactions  of not stopping Turnbull and I'd rather not deal with Sara's right hook again."  Rip stated, Bucky chuckled as Rip turned to tell Hex to send Stillwater gang a message. 

"Send word to Stillwater's posse. I believe the High Noon is less than three hours." 

-

**Salvation, Dakota Territory**

"Where have you been, Sara?"  Bucky asked Sara seeing Stillwater posse riding into the main Street with Jax with his wrist tied in ropes as Snart led Jeb Stillwater out of the Sheriff's office with a revolver to his back. Bucky saw the local undertaker with a wooden coffin laying next to him waiting to be filled. It made  him slightly unease that how common that was in this time period.

"It's a long story, involving a very colorful reincarnation of Kendra." Sara told him vaguely, making Bucky look at her curious of what she said to him. "I'll tell you later. So...You think Rip would pull this off?"

Bucky shrugged as Rip stepped forward. "Let's find out."  

"I'll be drawing for Sheriff Palmer." Rip announced to Jeb.

"How do me and your boys know that you're going to keep your word?" Jeb asked  Snart who handed the revolver that had one bullet in the chamber to Jeb. Jeb checked the revolver  to make sure that it wasn't tampered.

"Sheriff Palmer is a straight shooter." Snart said, making Jeb scoff as he put the revolver in his  holster.

"Then he should be the one out in the street."

Snart shrugged nonchalantly  as he stood next to Bucky and Sara.

Then the countdown started as both Rip and Jeb Stillwater stared in each other's eyes as the clock behind Rip was nearing noon. Fingers twitching ever so slightly as it was a test of nerves, Bucky and Sara looked at each other wondering who's going to get the short straw.

The two gunslingers both reached for their revolvers only Rip was faster and shot Jeb straight in the chest. Jeb missed Rip by few inches as he fell to the muddy ground, dead. The Undertakers went to get Jeb's body, putting the corpse into the wooden coffin sealing it as one of the late Jeb Stillwater's men used his hunting knife to cut the rope off  a shocked Jax's wrists. Jax hopped off the horse he was on and rejoined the Legends who went to Rip and Ray while the Stillwater Gang left Salvation for the final time.

"Jefferson, are you alright?"  Stein asked, feeling relieved that the one half of the Firestorm was unharmed.

Still shocked, Jax could only nod a yes. "Yeah. Did you just shoot somebody for me?"Jax queried.

"Yeah. You're welcome." Rip replied.

"I don't think we're done here yet." Sara said, seeing a trio walking through the fog.  Bucky guessed from the futuristic armor the trio wore and one of them had duel laser guns, they were the Hunters which spelt bad news. They found them.

"Friends 'f yours?"  Hex assumed, pulling his sidearm out of his holster.

"Not even close." Bucky murmured.

-

A fire fight ensured causing the locals to flee to safety. The Legends and Hex returned the fire that the Hunters unleashed.

"AH, Friends! Welcome!" Mick greeted some old friends from his time as Chronos firing some shot from his revolver.

"So much for laying low." Sara quipped as she and Bucky ducked under cover, getting her batons as she attached them into a bo staff. Stein and Jax clasped their hands merging into Firestorm, causing Hex to make a cross across his chest upon seeing a ascending Firestorm .  

Rip handed a small box containing the Atom Suit to Ray who went somewhere private to change into his Exosuit. and Soon enough, the Atom joined Firestorm and Kendra who had her wings spread out in the air providing air support. The hunters got separated from each other avoiding the nuclear blasts and star dwarf blasts.

Seeing the window of opportunity, Sara got out of hiding with Bucky and She used the barrels to jump attack a Hunter, the staff smacking him across the face. She kicked him in the stomach sending him to Bucky threw two haymakers returning the Hunter back to Sara who twirled herself around kicking him across the face, sending him back to Bucky.

 Going for the kill, Bucky clenched his metal fist to punch through one of the Hunter's chest, the heart was still beating  in his hand as Bucky pulled his hand out of the gaping hole on his chest.

Kendra who landed on the ground,  grimaced in disgust as Bucky dropped the heart to the ground. "Ew. How many times have you done that?"

"Too many." Bucky answered honestly then saw that the hunter's compatriots were taken out or killed making him perplexed of how easily the Legends had beaten the hunters. "That was too easy."

-

 **Waverider**  

As much as Bucky joined his time in the Wild West, he knew that he had outstayed his welcome in Salvation based on the looks he and others got from the locals after the fight was over. And of course when the Time Masters realized that Hunters failed their mission, they'll send more so that they had to leave right away.

"So, Rip when do we go next?" Bucky wondered.

"Or  more specifically, where?" Sara asked.

"Is there another Fragmentation  we can hide out in?" Kendra inquired.

Rip exhaled a breath. "Unfortunately, matters are not quite so simple." Rip said uneasily.

Jax sighed unsurprised by the news. "How do I know that you were gonna say somethin' like that?"

"The Time Masters have issued Omega Protocols on all of us, which is the worst kind of order that they can issue." Mick told them the last words that one of the hunters said to Mick before he died. "They've sent the Pilgrim after us."

Ray frowned. "That sounds pretty... terrible."

"Who is the Pilgrim?" Bucky asked both Rip and Mick.

Rip sighed sullenly, indicating to the assassins whoever this Pilgrim was, it wasn't good. "The Pilgrim is The Time Masters' most deadly assassin and she'll stop at nothing until each and every one of you are dead."

"Someone is after your title, Sara." Bucky teased Sara who scoffed. 

"I don't think It's my title she is going after."

Bucky huffed, shaking his head slightly. "If we can handle Hunters, then we can handle the Pilgrim." Bucky stated.

"You are correct in your assessment, James, which is why she won't be going after the present day versions of you." Rip informed making Bucky and Sara frown slightly. They did not like where this was going.

"She's hunting our younger selves and she won't stop at nothing until every single one of us have been erased from the timeline." Mick revealed.

-

**AN: Don't forget, comment, bookmark and kudos this story for further updates. Here's a sneak peek of the next chapter.**

**Starling City 1997.**

_"A little left. Little left on your end."_

_"Alright, I got it. I got it."_

_Michelle Barnes was skimming through her purse for the keys to the front walking past some movers on the way to the apartment,  unaware that the movers were actually Sara, Mick and Bucky in disguise._

_The trio popped their heads out of hiding like the Three Stooges of comedy seeing Bucky's Mother's back._

 


	25. Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having had enough of the Legends' antics, The Time Masters sends their most deadly assassin, the Pilgrim to eliminate their past selves which forces Rip to take drastic measures in order to save his team.

_**2014** _

**_Starling City_ **

_**Queen Consolidated.** _

_**Two weeks after the Siege**_.

_Dennis walked through the doors to see a table of full unfamiliar faces in the board room. All but one. Walter Steele was handing PMs to them._

_"Mr. Steele? I thought you left." Dennis said surprised to see the former CEO of Queen Consolidated back in his old workplace._

_Mr. Steele smiled, amusement evident in his eyes. "I see that Mr. Queen hasn't given you the memo."_

-  
 **Lian Yu, North China Sea.**

_"Thank you for doing this." Oliver thanked Bucky for helping him regaining the ownership of his family's company. "You have no idea how much this means to me."_

_Bucky shrugged. It was no problem helping  Oliver buy the company back, following the reveal that Isabel Rochev was complicit in Slade's city wide attack. "After everything you did to protect me from Wallers clutches, it's the least I can do."_

_"How's Quentin?" Oliver inquired, wondering about how Laurel and Sara's father was doing after a heart attack caused by internal injuries he sustained during the Siege._

_Bucky sighed thinking about the call from Laurel during the trip to the Island. "Last I heard, he's in a medically induced coma. But he's doing a bit better now, brain wise. They'd just have to wait for him to wake up."_

_Oliver's phone went off soon after Bucky explained Quentin's condition. He pressed the green button on his phone answering the call. "Oliver Queen."_

**_"Who the hell do you think you are to hire a new board of directors?!"_ ** _Mr. Dennis all but roared into his ear, making Oliver chuckle for a moment._

_"Simple. I own the company." Oliver told him smugly. Bucky snickered. He could tell that Oliver was enjoying this moment._

**_"What?"_ **

_Oliver had been wanting to do this for a long time. He never liked Dennis from the start. "I have you and the previous board to thank for making it possible. After it was discovered that the late CEO of Queen Consolidated and Steelmoor International Isabel Rochev aided  Slade Wilson in his attack on this city, the one you all voted in after you voted me out,  nobody wanted to do business with the company anymore. I was really amazed of how fast the stock had plummeted over the past few weeks.  Buying those stocks was easy pickings. I just had to wait for them to get low enough so that it wouldn't hurt me in the long term. And during that time, I went to find new board members. People who actually care about Starling City than just money that the company was making. Now, I may not have gone to Business school but I believe it's called a hostile takeover." Oliver said as Bucky couldn't contain a smile on his face._

**_"Listen here, you self entitled..."_ **

_Oliver hung up before Dennis could finish the cliche threat.  He sighed in content. "Worth it."_

-

**Temporal Zone**

**Waverider**

Bucky never feared death. He knew that he was going to die someday. Death is inevitable. But its a totally different situation when you face the risk of being erased from existence.  It's a fate worse than death.

Bucky was anxiously waiting in the hallway when Sara walked up to him.

"Did you get him?" Bucky asked referring to Mick's younger self who was the first target that The Pilgrim was after.

Sara nodded, coughing after inhaling some smoke during the rescue. "Just in time too. The Pilgrim was about to put him to sleep outside the house. Mini Mick is holding up in the cargo bay."

Bucky let out a sigh of relief. One down, seven to go. "Well, I hope he won't be the last we rescue." He muttered. "Alright, while you were rescuing  young Mick, Gideon located the Pilgrim's next target."

"Who?" Sara asked wondering who was the Time Masters' hired thug's next target.

"Me."

-

**Starling City 1997.**

Starling City. The City of stars. A city that hasn't fallen deep into the cesspool by Malcolm Merlyn sixteen years in the future when the Undertaking took place. It was a functional city with its own problems.

"A little left. Little left on your end."

"Alright, alright. I got it, I got it."

Michelle Barnes was skimming through her purse for the keys to her apartment walking past some movers on the way to the front door, unaware that the movers were actually Sara, Mick and Bucky. 

The trio popped their heads out of hiding like the three Stooges of comedy, seeing Bucky's Mother's back against them.

Mick whistled seeing the attractiveness of Bucky's mother, much to Bucky's chagrin. "Hello, Hot mama." He got a punch to the arm from Sara for that comment. Asking Him for forgiveness for what he was about to do, He raised a gun pulling the trigger. An tranquilizer dart hit Michelle on the neck, the effects already kicking in as Michelle crumbled but Bucky caught her before she hit the floor. 

"Go." Bucky commanded. Sara and Mick walked up to the door as Bucky found the keys to the door in his mother's purse and threw it to Sara who caught it. She pressed the key into the hole turning it left, unlocking the door. She entered the apartment first, Mick second and Bucky last carrying his mother, taking her back to the bedroom. He placed her gently on the bed, making sure she was unharmed before leaving the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He let out a relieved breath before gazing his eyes on a calendar on the hallway table. Curiously he walked over to see a small sentence with a exclamation mark written on a date.

**Daddy comes home!**

"I remember this." Bucky murmured in realization. Sara wondered why that date was so important to him so she listened as she joined him while Mick was escorting Bucky's young self who was still sleeping out of the apartment.  "Dad left for his last tour five months ago. Mom was pretty pissed that he was focused on his military career than being a family man. She even considered separation."

"You never told me that." Sara said.

Bucky shrugged. "You didn't ask so I kinda pushed that memory into the back of my mind. Before he left, he promised me that he would take me to a Rocket's game when he returned. When he died, it was pretty much null void."  Bucky sighed staring at the calendar before heading to the front door. "Let's go."

-

**Starling City, 2007.**

After getting younger Bucky safely to the timeship, The Legends time jumped to 2007 via 10 years. Sara was next.

Sara, Bucky And Mick had arrived at the SCPD where they saw The Pilgrim about to end Past Sara's life. Charging towards the brunette assassin Sara threw a shuriken that hit the Pilgrims hand before using the chairs to jump kick pilgrim, causing her to drop her arm while  Mick guarded Past Sara. The Pilgrim was grabbed from behind by Bucky in an attempt to restrain her. Pilgrim surprised Bucky by separating his arms from her waist with her strength as she used both of her  kicking Sara away from her across the hallway. She head butted Bucky making him stagger away from her. 

Recovering quickly, Bucky tried to throw a punch at with his metal fist but The Pilgrim caught it with ease. Bucky frowned slightly of how easily she caught the fist briefly before he kicked her leg out but she recovered by using her superhuman strength to hit him in the stomach with her fist, taking the breath out of him before kneeing him on the face. 

Sensing Sara from behind, Pilgrim propped her body forwards, her leg lifted as her foot struck Sara  in the face, the heel hitting her nose so hard it broke. Sara collapsed to the floor as her broken nose began to bleed while Mick cringed at the bone breaking sound.

Before Pilgrim could get her gun back,  Mick stepped in by blasting her away with his heat gun through the glass. Bucky and Sara looked at him annoyed of how convenient the intervention was.

"You couldn't have done that earlier."   Bucky grumbled.

"I hate you, Mick." Sara muttered, holding her bloody nose. Ignoring the snarky comments, Mick took Past Sara by the arm gently and escorted her out of the station with Sara and Bucky following.

-

"Oh my god, are you two alright?"  Kendra asked concerned seeing the two assassins and the man formerly known as Chronos walk into the bridge with their wounded prides. They can't believe that they got humiliated by the Pilgrim. While Sara was getting her nose patched in the med Bay  and putting the body part back into place, Mick escorted Past Sara to the Cargo Bay with young Mick.

Sara and Bucky looked at Kendra annoyed.  "Not really." They deadpanned in unison.

"Metal Arm and Sara got their assess handed to them by the Pilgrim." Mick told them bluntly, earning two death stares from the former League members.

"She caught us by surprise. She had superhuman strength and used it to overpower us." Bucky told everyone of what really happened at SCPD. "Which was embarrassing."

"Tell me about it." Sara muttered, quietly.

Shaking his head in concern, Rip looked at the computer screen hoping that the AI was still on the Pilgrim's trail. "Gideon, have you located the Pilgrim's next target?"

"I'm sorry sir but I have not. The timeline shows no temporal distortions. I seem to be unable to track her." 

"That doesn't sound good." Ray piped uneasily. Rip shook his head once more.

"No. It's quite the opposite. Without the way of tracking the whereabouts of the Pilgrim, she can target anyone of you, at any point in time."

-

Rip's worries came to fruition when Ray collapsed in his quarter, sustaining internal injuries without even being involved in a physical confrontation. Gideon had informed the former Time Master that there was an time anomaly in 2014 in the vicinity of Palmer Tech.  The Pilgrim had attacked Ray when he was on the verge of being the Atom but fortunately Rip and Firestorm arrived and they barley rescued Ray's young self from getting killed, which forced Rip's hand. He had to take drastic actions in order to prevent the Pilgrim from ever eliminating each of the Legends. They kidnapped some of the members when they were newborn with the risk of being  erased from the memories of those closest to them.

"Sara Natalie Lance." Past Sara froze in place with young Mick holding a crowbar in his hands as Bucky went to the Cargo Bay to check on them where there he saw them trying to get out.  "Where do you think you're going?" Bucky demanded crossing his arms across his chest.

Sara tried to come up with a believable lie as she shrugged sheepishly. "Out. for some fresh air." 

Bucky didn't buy it of course. He'd forgotten how much of a nightmare Sara's young self was. He'd lost count of how many times he had to save her behind from fights that she started or got involved in.  "Right." He drawled walking over to them and took the crowbar from young Mick.  Before they had a chance to react, Bucky slapped two hand cuffs on their respective wrists and used the other cuffs to restrain them on a pipe, eliminating the chances of their escape.

"You can't do that!" Past Sara protested tugging at it.

"Sorry, but you left me no choice." Bucky said unapologetically, walking away from them while ignoring the pleas from Past Sara and the swear words from young Mick, leaving the bay. 

"The little rugrats tried to escape?" Mick assumed leaning on the rail of the stairs.

Bucky handed the crowbar to Mick who took it. "What do you think?"

Mick growled, clenching the crowbar tight while glaring at his younger self.

-

**1997**

**Starling City.**

**Bucky envisioned himself as his 10 year old self playing basketball with his father on a basketball court outside of the apartment building. His father let his son dribble past him, allowing him to lay up the ball through the hoop.  His father cheered his son for it while picking him up on his arms.**

-

**Present day.**

**Temporal Zone**

**Waverider**

Bucky remembered that day all too well. It was the day before his father left for his last tour. His father spent a whole day with him, taking him to ice cream,  watch a movie and looked up to the sky to see the stars.

They dropped their younger selves at a orphanage that was run by Rip's adoptive mother for protection.

"Everyone, please  report to the main deck Immediately." Rip's urgent voice spoke through the speakers on the ship. Bucky went to the bridge of the timeship to see everyone gathered at the bridge.

Seeing a frown on the Captain's face, Bucky had a sneaky feeling that it wasn't good."What is it Rip?"  

"Gideon had intercepted a trans-chronal beacon."  Rip told him before commanding the AI to show them a recorded message from the Pilgrim.

"This message is for Rip Hunter. I'm going to make this very quick and very simple."  The Pilgrim said. "If I can't find you, I can find those you love."

To prove that she was not bluffing, multiple pictures of those that were close to the Legends appeared on the computer screen. Martin's wife Clarissa, Sara's father,  Leonard's sister and Ray's late fiancé Anna making everyone tense in worry. But The Pilgrim wasn't alone. She had a hostage.

"Get off me, bitch!" A gruff voice that sounded somewhat familiar to Bucky spat as Pilgrim pulled a man up for everyone to see. Bucky's blood ran cold recognizing the man who shared some of Bucky's characteristics. 

"Dad." Bucky whispered, seeing his father down on his knees. It pained him to his father hurt.  Sara rubbed  his forearm in comfort, reassuring him that they will save him.

"All of them will suffer and die because of you." The Pilgrim sneered. "Your family, friends, Anyone you've ever cared about. Unless you surrender your younger selves to me."

"So she can erase you all from history." Rip finished the demand grimly.

"If it's any comfort, you won't feel a thing." The Pilgrim told them. "As for your loved ones, I cannot promise the same thing."

As soon as the message had ended, Bucky let out a angry yell as  he pounded his fist on the table startling everyone. It's one thing for someone to go after him, it's another to go after a man's family. Pilgrim just made it personal.

-

**Abandoned Time Masters' outpost.**

Bucky better hoped that plan Rip conjuncted would work or otherwise there would be hell to pay. Rip contacted Pilgrim to counter the ultimatum, that instead of dropping the Legend's younger selves, he offered himself from the past making assurance that there was no trick.

Bucky stood in the shadows  watching the exchange taking place inside a hangar at  an old outpost that had been defunct by the Time Masters from the scope of his sniper rifle. It was  all too tempting to just screw the plan and pull the trigger but the risks were too great so he had to stay in his position and watch. It heartened him though to see his father mostly unharmed as  he began the walk over to them while younger Rip was heading to the Pilgrim in the other direction.

"Sara. As  soon as Dad is in the clear, the kill is mine." Bucky said into his comms quietly. 

 _"Don't worry. Just sit tight. Then you can put as many rounds on her as you like."_ Sara reassured him. Bucky smirked coldly.

"It will only take one." Bucky snarled calmly. 

-

Once his father was safe, just as the Pilgrim was about to end the Young Rip's life with her gun, the ATOM emerged enlarging himself into his normal size in the air using his blaster to shoot her but The Pilgrim used her powers to stop time, freezing him in place before sending the blast back to Atom while young Rip fled away from him  
"Now!" Rip shouted and that was their que.  Jax and Stein merged into Firestorm while  Sara, Mick and Snart came out of while Kendra in her hawkgirl suit flew in with her mace. 

Everyone minus Bucky  charged at the Pilgrim as well as the Atom who had recovered but She used her powers once more  by stretching her hands out in concentration, freezing those who charged at her.

"I was willing to proceed in good faith." The Pilgrim said, grinning sadistically. "Now you'll watch those closest to you die."

She froze when someone who she didn't count on stabbed her in the right thigh. She looked down to see young Rip with a blood stained knife.

"You thought that you could snuff me out?" Young Rip taunted the temporal assassin.  "You don't know me at all, miss."  He stabbed her in the left leg, taking the Pilgrim by surprise.

That was his moment. Letting out a deep breath, Bucky's finger pulled the trigger of his sniper rifle,  a bullet coming out of the barrel at a rapid speed heading towards its intended target. The bullet went through her head, killing her instantly. The Pilgrim stood still for a moment, blood seeping out of the open wound on her forehead before crumbling to the floor, dead, her eyes were completely blank staring up at the roof.

Pleased of the kill, Bucky dropped the sniper rifle to his side and walked up to the body of Pilgrim, looking down on her in disgust. "That's for hurting my old man, bitch." He then went to check on his father.

"Dad, you ok?"  Bucky asked checking him for any injuries. Fortunately there were none.

Lt. Alexander Barnes shook his head no, wide eyed. "Wanna explain what the hell did I just watch, son?"

Bucky sighed, patting his father. This was going to be a very long story to tell.

-

**Waverider**

"Ice caps are melting. War in Middle east, Rockets and Houston are back at it. I don't know, richer are getting richer, poor getting poor. Cell phones, Online dating, wifi." Bucky summarized what had happened during the past 19 years after telling him the whole truth.  His father seemed to have taken the news pretty well once he got a rundown, that what's his father told him at least.

Lt. Barnes furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What the heck is a wifi?" 

"Wireless inter linking." Bucky told him what Wifi stood for in short.

"From digital devices?"

Bucky nodded. "Yeah. all signals emitting from a satellite."

Lt. Barnes chuckled in amazement for a moment before asking his son of what happened to his parents. "Mom and dad uh... I assume that they're...?" He trailed off, worried that he might not like the answer. 

Bucky sighed as he answered the question. "Yeah. Grandpa when I was 12. Grandma is in the final stages of Dementia. Doesn't have much time left." Bucky told him.

Seeing how saddened his father was of learning the fates of his parents, Bucky changed the topic. "Do you remember that night, when you left? You said that..."

"I was going to take you to a Rocket's game." Lt.Barnes finished the recall fondly. "Dad used to take me to the stadium growing up. Couldn't wait to continue the tradition with you."

"It's that ambush that pretty much screwed that plan up." Bucky said. 

Lt. Barnes thought it differently. After listening to what had occurred after he died, he had his eyes opened. "No, it's not. It's me." he admitted, taking Bucky by surprise.  " _I_  screwed it up. Chasing after perfection while ignoring what was right in front of me the whole time. How could I've been so blind?"

Seeing that his father was beating himself up for being a soldier first and a family man second, Bucky attempted to assure him that he did the best he could. "Dad..."

But Alexander cut his only son off. He wasn't done."James. With everything I just learned, If I had known that my absence would have a huge impact on your life, I... I would've given all the accolades I've earned during my service so that I can be the father that you deserved than the one you had."  Lt. Barnes told him putting his hand on his only sons shoulder. "I am so sorry, son."

Bucky simply nodded, accepting the apology. It lifted a huge weight off his shoulder. "I know, Dad. And for what it's worth, you were a good father to me and that's really what any son could ask for."

Touched by what his son's words, Father and son embraced each other in a heartfelt hug. This was something that Bucky will cherish it until the day he died.  "I'm proud of you, son. I'm proud of what you have  become."

"You get back in one piece, you hear me?" Bucky said.

Lt. Barnes nodded, promising his son that he would make it home. "I will."

Both men saluted each other before Lt. Barnes turned around and headed down the hallway so that he can return to his own time.

The smile Bucky had on his lips seeing his father leave faded as reality started to sink in."It's not gonna change what happened to Dad, won't it?"  Bucky sighed in defeat. 

Rip stepped out of the spot he was at, confirming the bad news. "No. Unfortunately, it will not. I am truly sorry James."

-

What Bucky feared the knowledge of knowing his fate won't change the outcome came true when Gideon showed his father's obituary that remained unchanged. It had the exact same day, the exact same month and the exact same year. He remembered that Rip told everyone that time wants some important events to happen and it sucked. It was not fair.

Bucky sat on the edge of his bed in his quarter with a faraway look in his eyes, a tear escaped his eye sliding down his cheek before hitting the floor like a rain drop.

-

**2014**

**Starling City**

_She couldn't believe it. She literary couldn't. After everything they'd gone through over the past several months, he'd told her after she left the hospital that he was gonna leave._

_"I just got you back."_

_"I know, doll. But this is something I have to do personally." Bucky replied not liking this anymore than she did. But this was necessary. It didn't mean that it was tough on both of them."Until I get these words outta my head, I can't trust my own mind which means I'm a threat to pretty much anyone."_

_She shook her head in dismay, not trusting herself  to say anything that she might regret later.  Bucky lifted her chin up, making  her look up to him. "Hey this isn't a goodbye. It's a I see you later. I'll be back before you know it."_

_"But for how long? 4 more years? 5?"_

_"We can't worry about the future." He told her. "The best thing we can do now is enjoy the present." He kissed her on the forehead. "See you soon, pretty bird."_

_-_

Rip was looking at an obituary of one Quentin Larry Lance who passed away on the 6th of April 2016, just four months after Sara and Bucky left Star City in his office. He considered telling her but he feared that if he did, Sara would threaten him to get back to Star City and alter the timeline risking either herself or her sister to be erased from the present. No, he couldn't take that chance. Not when they're on a time schedule to stop Savage. They were heading to a time where Savage was at the peak of his powers. 2166.

**AN: The Reason why I let Pilgrim beat both Sara and Bucky was because she had superhuman strength that surpasses Bucky's and near invulnerability while she's aware despite her not being on the level of Bucky and Sara in hand to hand. Don't forget, comment and vote for further updates.**

 


	26. 2166

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the assassination attempt, The Legends travel to 2166 to stop Savage once and For all. There they will discover some surprises and shocks on the way which forces Bucky to confront his past as the Winter Soldier.

**2015**  

**Starling City**

_Malcolm cried in surprise as he was suddenly shot in the leg while Oliver who had the Demon's ring in his hand backed away from him._

_Realizing that he was being played, Malcolm supported a look of anger as Bucky stepped out of the shadows,  pointing his gun at him. "We had a deal." He hissed._

_"I remember."  Oliver said. "I did promise you that I wasn't going to be the one to kill you after we killed Ra's. But I can't say the same for the others, can I?"_

_Bucky shot Malcolm once more in the other leg, bringing him to his knees as he took his time in doing it. Malcolm tried to plea to him for mercy but it fell on deaf ears._

_"This is for Sara." Bucky said coldly before blowing Malcolm's brains out, leaving the two men standing over the body of the former CEO of Merlyn Global._

-

**2166**

**London**

The Team were on a deadline right now following their assassination attempt. They didn't have the luxury to look for Savage through the history anymore because the longer they do, the sooner some of them will be erased from the memories of their beloved. 

When the gigantic arrived in 2166, they were literary attacked on all fronts in air. The Timeship sustained  some damage on the front of the timeship by fighter jets

The ship rocked back and forth, shaking its inhabitants on their seats due to the turbulence of the blasts.

"Are we over in London yet, because it sure as hell sounds like we've stepped into WW3!!" Bucky exclaimed, remembering his first tour in Afghanistan where his transport got attacked by rebel forces three miles from his camp.

"We  _are_  over London, James!"   Rip affirmed trying to keep the ship steady from the pilot's seat. "Or what's left of it." 

"Then why London is shootin' at us?" Jax inquired.

"It's Savage's forces that are doing the shooting." Rip answered.  "Here in 2166, they have subjugated most of the globe." 

After he said it, the Waverider was rocked once more by missiles, almost causing Rip to lose control of his ship due to the blast but he managed to maintain control.

Even though she's gotten used to it by now,  Sara was still getting motion sickness. "Maybe picking up here wasn't the brightest idea." Sara muttered.

"Unfortunately we no longer have the luxury  of blindly searching for Savage throughout history." Stein pointed out.

"Indeed." Rip occurred with the elderly professor. "We have to target Savage at the time and place that we're certain that he will be which is.... "

"Right before he wastes your family." Mick finished bluntly, causing the team excluding Rip to look at him, making him confused. "What?"

"Yes, mr. Rory."  Rip confirmed. "Savage will kill my wife and son in  three days time but we can save  them and the world by stopping  Savage now." 

The Waverider managed to escape the fighter jets by slipping into the clouds.  _"Captain, I've managed to slip beneath the artillery fire."_ Gideon reported,Rip sighed in relief lifting the straps up along with everyone else on their seats.

"Set us down on the outskirts of the city, Gideon, near the encampment of the remaining resistance forces." Rip commanded getting off his seat and walked past the members hurriedly to the clothing room. "We are going to need to proceed swiftly."

 "I realize your family is in jeopardy but perhaps some deliberation..." Stein said seeing that Rip was in a hurry of saving his wife and son rather than find the immortal dictator and ending him once for all.

"We really don't have the time, Martin." Rip cut him off. "According to Gideon, Savage is going to be out in the open, tonight. Vulnerable. now in order to capture him, I require the assistance of..." 

"Killers, klepto and pyro?" Mick guessed glancing at Snart, Sara and Bucky.

Rip nodded, confirming the guess. "Bingo."

-

Bucky had to admit, Savage was pretty good of conveying his message. He would've made a good speaker if he wasn't an immortal ruler of the World.

Bucky stood next to Sara, Snart, Mick and Rip, wearing black uniforms in the midst of Savage's army at Savage's citadel, front row while watching Savage motivating his army from the podium, The citadel that was the base of his empire in the background.

"There's no way we can grab him here." Sara assessed.

"Not with an army standing between us." Snart muttered.

"Shh, trying to listen to this guy."  Mick said, cutting off the chatter. Rip, Snart and Sara looked at him bewildered. "He gives a helluva speech."

Shaking her head in bemusement, Sara turned her attention back to Savage coming to the end of his speech.  Savage's army saluted by raising their fists high chanting Ooah! two times.

 _"All set on our end._ _Jax is in the Jumpship, ready to extract you guys."_ Kendra told them over the comms.

"Especially if,  and by if, I mean  _when_... this thing goes south." Snart said, knowing that it could go south in a heart beat.

As the guards escorted Savage back to his base of,  a blonde girl who stood next to the dictator on the podium earlier, glanced smugly at Bucky who stared back at her. It was as if she knew him from somewhere, which didn't settle well with the ex army soldier.

"Savage's right hand lady just made us." Bucky informed.

"Have faith Mr. Barnes."  Rip reassured him calmly. Seeing that Savage was at a safe distance Rip began shadowing him silently, the others followed his trail.

-

They had blended in as they followed Savage and his guards around the corner. 

"If we don't move real soon,we're gonna get ourselves killed." Mick said.

"How about we play this like Chicago?" Snart suggested.

Mick shrugged. Not a bad idea. "Could work."   Mick turned around and caught Rip's foot on his boot foot, causing him to fall to the ground. MIck and Snart hid behind some columns with Sara and Bucky.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Sara hissed in exasperation.

Savage turned around and saw Rip. He narrowed his eyes while Rip looked a reindeer caught in the headlights. Rip sighed getting back on his feet before drawing his six gun, killing some of the guards that were a part of the dictator's  squad.

"We'll take Savage. you tie up the guards."  Snart said, charging his ice gun before running up the steps with Mick who had his fire gun drawn. Sara rolled her eyes in annoyance before taking out her staff from her jacket, taking on Savage's right hand while Bucky helped Rip. 

As the criminal duo were hot on Savage's trail, they soon realized that it might've not been the best idea as more of Savage's guards appeared in front of them armed.

"We're outnumbered!" Mick said creating a line of fire keeping them at bay from his heat gun.

"Fall back!" Rip commanded as Bucky ducked a right hook before throwing a haymaker to the helmet, stomach and chest before wrapping his arm around the neck, giving it a twist to the side breaking it. He picked up his sidearm and shot some guards that tried 

 "Mr. Jackson, now might be a good time to pick us up!" Rip shouted into his ear communication before leaving his hiding spot, heading to the extraction point. Bucky went to kick Savage's right hand in the chest,  sending her away  and dragged Sara by the arm in the direction of extraction point. Mick and Snart were the last to follow.

-

As soon as they entered the Waverider via the jump ship following their escape, Rip wasted no time in lecturing both Mick and Snart for their impulsive plan.

"What. Exactly do you think what you're doing back there?!" Rip demanded, pissed off about what transpired at the citadel as they walked down the hallway to the main bridge.

"Distracting Savage's pals. Which worked by the way." Snart said, unfazed by the outburst.

"Yes, well. I could've been killed." Rip hissed.

"Never said it worked perfectly." Mick told him.

"At least it wasn't a complete bust. We found out about Kendra's bracelet." Sara said, both Bucky and Rip stopped in their tracks.

"What bracelet?" Bucky and Rip asked her in unison.

-

Once they went to the Kendra went on to explain that the bracelet she saw on the blonde's wrist were present on the night of her first death in Ancient Egypt which meant it could be the final piece to the puzzle. But there laid the conundrum: how do you convert a piece of jewelry into something lethal?  Rip told them they'll get the answer when they take the bracelet as Gideon informed them she detected movement near the ship. It was what's left of the resistance. Rip went to find the rebels, hoping that they  could tell him how to get close to Savage leaving Sara Bucky, Mick, Snart and Kendra behind in the Ship.

Bucky was reading a book in his quarter to keep his mind occupied off the situation. He had a bad feeling that something was going to go down and it won't be pretty but given the track records they have, it wouldn't be a surprise.

-

Why wasn't he surprised? He was used to it by now.  He should've seen that a mile away.  Snart and Mick just walked into the citadel and kidnapped  Savage's second in command who was now hold up in the cell at the brigade mere 30 minutes ago. The Good news was that they got the bracelet off  Cassandra's wrist.

"I don't know that  I should congratulate you guys or slap the both of your heads." Bucky quipped staring at the blonde who remained calm in the cell.

"Only the former thank you."  Snart drawled.

"And here I was thinking we could go a whole week without kidnapping anyone." Rip deadpanned in a disappointed tone as he entered the brigade.

"I think you'll find it would have been better to simply kill me." Savage's second in command pointed out. 

"I agree." Mick replied in agreement.

"It's a little complicated than that." Snart explained while handing the bracelet to Rip. "She knew who I was." 

"I know who all of you are. It's a honor to meet you, Gareeb." She said, she then glanced at Bucky. "Not as much as meeting you, Winter Soldier." 

Bucky stiffened at his codename that he was given by Waller so long ago. How the hell does she know who he was back then?

 Rip let out a bitter chuckle. "I see Savage has been rather chatty with his leftenants." Rip said.

"If you think I am merely Savage's soldier, you're more idiotic than he claimed." She said stepping closer to the glass. "I'm not his lieutenant. I'm his daughter."

They did not see that coming.

-

As the team was discussing of what they were  gonna do with Savage's daughter, Bucky sat on a chair near the computer table thinking back to what Cassandra uttered  to him earlier in the Brigade. Winter Soldier. the name that had been associated with terror and fear. The one that he never seemed to escape from. But that wasn't the problem, the real problem was how she If she knew, that meant...

 _"No."_  Bucky thought in horrific realization. He wouldn't even think of doing it would he? But he would. 

"I think Savage knows about Siberia." Bucky spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "Where I was kept. I think he knows exactly where." He didn't wanna think, talk or even hear about Siberia. It was hell on earth for him. But he had to tell them.

"What exactly does Savage know about Siberia?" Ray asked.

Bucky looked at them, a bit unease of what he was gonna tell them. "That I'm not the only Winter Soldier." He revealed, making their eyes bulge in shock.

-

**_2011_ **

**_Siberia._ **

**_Amanda Waller was observing Winter Soldier sparring with one of the test subjects who'd been injected with a modified version of the 56898 serum in a chamber at a facility in the Siberian Mountains. She saw the female subject overpowering the Winter Soldier and sent him flying across the chamber with a powerful kick to the chest. Back hitting the door first before landing on the cold ground._ **

**_Amanda Waller smirked as Winter Soldier dazedly got back up on his feet._ **

**_As a medic went to check the subject's pulse, she unexpectedly took a hold of the medic's neck and slammed him on the ground. she smashed her foot into upper back, destroying the vertebrae. The subjects had been encouraged by the preceding actions._ **

**_Realizing what was about to take place, Waller pulled out a gun and pointed at Winter Soldier's head who had a blank stare.  "Sgt. Barnes, get me to safety now."_ **

**_The others dispatched a small unit of ARGUS guards selected by Waller without any considerable effort as the Winter Soldier escorted ARGUS director out of the chamber swatting some of the guards on the way._ **

-

"Who were they?" Sara asked after the team got the cliff note version about the other Winter Soldiers that were created some time ago after Bucky's unwilling participation into the Winter Soldier Program. 

"The most elite death squad." Bucky explained, not even looking up to them in shame. "More kills than anyone in ARGUS' history. And that was before the serum."

"They all turn out like you?" Jax queried.

"Worse." Bucky admitted, remembering the side effects of the modified serum. It increased their aggressiveness to the point that they had to be put in cryostasis.

"And Savage, could he control them?" Sara questioned.

Bucky sighed. "Enough."

"You did say that Savage's forces subjugated most of the globe here in 2166." Sara recalled to Rip.

"With these guys, he could do it." He stated. "They speak 30 languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize. They can take a whole country down in one night and you'd never see them coming." 

Exhaling a sharp breath, Rip took a moment to let the new information sink in his head. It all makes sense to the former Time Master of how easily the countries that took a stand against Savage were easily defeated, following the Armageddon virus attack by Degaton. They were dismantled from within. The team stepped away from Bucky to talk about the Winter Soldier death squad.

"As if one Winter Soldier wasn't bad enough." Sara muttered. "But an army of them?"

"Yeah. I mean if it it's true what Bucky said; about them being worse than him, I do not wanna go up against these guys, man." Jax said, shivering at the thought of having to face an army of super soldiers.

"Indeed, which is why we have to move up the time schedule if we were to have even a chance of ending Savage's heinous reign." Rip said knowing what he had to do now.  

-

"Any luck finding out what Savage's secret weapon was?" Bucky asked Ray who was pacing the floor, stepping into the Captain's office.  What Bucky was referring to was what a outpost of the rebels got destroyed by some advanced secret weapon that Savage had at his disposal when Rip visited the Resistance earlier. The outpost was completely flattened and there were no survivors. So Ray went to survey the wreckage to determine what type of weapon Savage used. 

Ray nodded. He did.  And it's a big one. "As a matter of fact I did and it is not an explosive."  He said.

"What?"  Bucky inquired surprised. "How?"

Ray went on to explain the how. "Gideon... She found a defunct spy satellite. Look at the photos here." Ray gestured to the satellite photos, a before and after on the computer screen. "This is the Delta camp." Bucky looked at the screen. "And here is the camp, destroyed."

Bucky went to take a closer look at the destroyed rebel camp, his eyes went wide in shock as he saw what Ray discovered. "God. They don't look like impact craters."

"No. They're footprints." Ray told him.

Just then the officer shook slightly, causing both Ray and Bucky to look at the globe who was shaking considerably.

"That doesn't look good."

-

Out of all the idea the team had come up with in the past several months this was the most honorable one. Stein and Ray were bringing in refugees from the camp that hid from the Savage's execution squads.

"Let's go, let's go!"  Bucky urged the last of refugees to aboard the Waverider before Savage's secret weapon showed up.  Once the last refugee entered the cargo bay, Gideon shut the door as the Waverider took off . "That's the last of them."   He went to the main deck to tell Rip when he saw a gigantic mechanical  robot blocking their path through the window

"Oh my god." He breathed before running back to the Cargo bay ignoring the calls from Rip and Sara.

"Everyone, hang on to something!" Bucky shouted to everyone  before Savage's robotic cyborg grabbed the ship, causing the occupants in cargo bay to stumble forward and a small explosion occurred in the ship.  When the Robot tossed the Waverider across the land,  he braced himself for impact, knowing the landing was gonna hurt big time.

-

**_2016_ **

**_Star City_ **

_Bucky found himself in bed with Laurel resting next to him. The bedsheets covered their naked bodies as the morning sun rays came through the curtains in the bedroom._

_"What was it?" Laurel wondered what her boyfriend dreamt about this time._

_"London." Bucky said._

_Laurel hummed in response before looking up to him."Did it hurt?"_

_"Hurt what?" Bucky inquired._

_"When he killed you."_

-

Bucky coughed loudly, regaining his consciousness soon after the timeship had crashed into the ground. He groaned getting back up seeing the most of the refugees mostly unharmed. he checked himself to see if he got injured during the attack. He wasn't.

"Is everyone alright?!" He shouted looking around the hallway.

Mick grunted using the walls to pick himself up. "Just Peachy."

Shaking his head off the dizziness, Bucky surveyed the area. Savage's robot did major damage to the ship. He even saw some of the refugees tendering to their children that got bruises during the crash. But then he was mortified when he saw Stein laying on the floor with a piece of metal stuck in his side. 

"Stein!" Bucky rushed to his aid and helped him getting to the med bay where he placed him on the seat. "You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine Jax!"

The aforementioned person got into the Bay as fast as he could when his name was called.  Bucky left knowing that he was in safe hands. "Mick! Some of the refugees got injured in the cargo, get them to the medical bay!" He told Mick.

"Since when do I get to be the Salvation Army, Metal Arm?" Mick said.

"Since now!" Bucky retorted. "Go!"  Mick grunted but complied to his request as he went to help the said refugees.

Seeing Mick walking down the hallway,  Bucky knew what he had to do. He's gotta go back in time to Siberia. He ran down the hallway in the direction of the jumpship.

"Where are you going?" Sara asked seeing Bucky was in a hurry.

"Siberia, 2016. I have some unfinished business there." Bucky answered heading to the jumpship. Muttering a few curse words under her breath, Sara decided to join him because he was gonna need some backup.  She'll be damned if he was gonna do it by himself.

-

**2016**

**Siberia**

**Argus Facility.**

The jump ship landed on the helicopter pad above the facility where the other Winter Soldiers were kept.

Sara looked at Bucky from the pilot seat who sat next to her. He was silent during the trip. "You ok?"

Bucky shook his head no. It felt like he got out of the frying pan only to be brought back into the inferno again. "Not really." He admitted quietly. 

She figured that he wouldn't be. She could only imagine what Bucky must be feeling, reentering Hell. "How much do you remember, being here?" Sara asked.

Bucky sighed, fiddling with his fingers."Too much."

-

Sara and Bucky stepped out of the jump ship and walked into the cold breeze of the Siberian mountains. Bucky observed that not much had changed since he left. Sara and Bucky went through  the gate to the one elevator that led to the lower levels. They stepped into the elevator. He pressed a button, sending them down to the chamber where He kept three years of his life down there. Three years of torment and suffering.

-

They both stopped at the door that led to the chamber at the end of the hall. 

"You ready?" Sara asked him if he was ok with this.

Bucky nodded taking a deep breath to prepare himself mentally. "Yeah."  
 She stepped forward kicking the door down to see the chamber where all Winter Soldiers excluding Bucky were all in their pods.  She was astounded to see how well persevered they were as they entered the vast chamber. "Is that them?"

Bucky nodded, answering the question. Sara frowned when she saw a chair with a head gear above it, a machine was connected to the chair in the middle of the chamber.

"What the hell is that?"  Sara inquired.

Bucky sighed remembering being dragged to that chair while having that head gear strapped to his skull so many times. "It's a memory suppression machine. After each mission, Waller would have me strapped to a chair while her scientists activated the machine to repress any memory from my past that  I might have regained."

Sara was appalled of hearing such a barbaric technique. "Seriously?" Bucky nodded grimly.  "Shit."

It was an apt description of how cruel Waller's methods were during his stay at Argus. Bucky sighed not wanting to spend another moment in this hellhole as he drew out his side arm from his holster. "Let's get this over with."

-

After killing all Winter Soldiers one by one, he went on to burn the bodies, making sure that they'll never be used as Savage's pawns in the future. Sara had just rejoined him after planting bombs they found in weapons room at the chamber around the facility.

"Wanna do the honors?" Sara said handing a small detonator to Bucky.

Bucky was more than happy to. "With pleasure." He pressed the red button on the detonator, destroying the ARGUS facility  once and for all in one big bang.

**AN: Don't forget, vote and comment for further updates.**

 


	27. River of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having finally captured Savage in 2166, The Legends were in for a bumpy ride to the Vanishing Point.

**_Star City_ **

**_2016_ **

_Bucky gasped loudly as he shot up from another nightmare in their apartment. He dreamt of being recaptured by Waller and subjected to Waller's brainwash once more.  Laurel who was wide wake of Bucky's gasp, went to check on him._

_"You ok?" Laurel asked,_ _concerned._

 _Buck sighed, rubbing his eyes off any sleep. There was no use of trying to sleep again._ _"Nightmare."_

_Laurel frowned. "How many did you have since you came back?"_

_"_ _Too many." Bucky admitted then he thought about the offer of whether he should join Rip to stop Savage. He was unsure that he should become a hero.  "I don't know if i'm cut out for this. I mean aside from my military service, what qualities do I have that makes me a hero?"_

_"Honor. Courage. Loyalty. Bravery. Shall I go on?" Laurel listed the things off. Still seeing that  Bucky was still doubtful, Laurel became serious. "Look, you're not  the only one to have doubt about being a hero considering what you went through but you're not the only one to have blinked under the gaze of the abyss. It's where you go from there that matters."_

_Bucky chuckled shaking his head in amusement. He's got no idea of how lucky he was to have found such a strong and compassionate woman. "Ever considered being motivational speaker, Doll?"_

" _No, but I'll have it as a secondary career if I don't become the D.A within the next five years." Laurel said smiling as Bucky cupped her cheek with his metal hand, kissing her on the lips._

-

**Temporal Zone.**

_"We missed a lot."_  Bucky mused in his mind as he thought about what occurred during his absence. After he left for Siberia with Sara, Snart had managed to convince Cassandra to join their side by showing  footage of Savage in favorable 2147 during a shareholders meeting suggesting to Per Degaton's father that they should reduce the population due to the human resources being exhausted. Even though Mr. Degaton's father shot down the horrific motion, he went on to plot behind his back and succeeded in releasing the Armageddon virus created by Per Degaton before killing his student himself, leaving the world for the taking. Her mother were amongst the heavy casualties and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Meanwhile Ray used the Time drive to power his exosuit, evening the playing field as he went to  destroy Savage's Iron Giant. He wished that he got to see it. But unfortunately There were some complications along the way. 

Carter Hall was still alive and they found out the hard way when Kendra was about to deliver the killing blow to Savage with the mace that had been fused with the bracelet in the citadel when Carter who had been reincarnated as Scythian Torvil interfered.  She couldn't help but spare both Scythian and Savage. Even though he understood her actions, He kinda wished that she followed through Plan A. as Snart pointed out, as long Savage is on board, he is a threat to pretty much everyone. Bucky agreed.

"Sorry we're late, but we found something." Ray announced entering the main bridge with Jax. Bucky can't help but feel sorry for Ray, Kendra obviously still have feelings for Carter who was chained in the cargo bay when she spared. He can only imagine what he must be going through right now.

"We've been running diagnostics on Ray's suit after his battle with Savage's Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot." Jax explained, holding up an Ipad before handing it over to Stein to study.

"The telemetry data included a comparative scan of the robot's tech." Ray said.

Stein studied the data on the Ipad for a moment. "Amazing. This neuromorphic profile is astonishingly futuristic."  Stein marveled.

"Yeah, it's from 2166." Kendra said not seeing where they were going with this.

"Well, that's the thing. It's not." Jax revealed catching everyone's interest including the former Time Master.  

Ray went to explain further about the discovery."This technology's light years more advanced than anything from 2166."

"Who cares?" Snart asked bored with the scientific information.

"The Time Masters." Rip concluded.  "They refused to take action against Savage because he didn't pose a threat to the timeline."

Bucky caught on Rip's train of thought. "But if he came into possessing future technology..."

"It means he's been engaging in exactly the same manipulation of time that the Time Council were designed to prevent." Rip finished the thought.

"So now they'll finally sign off on undoing all the damage Savage has done to the world." Sara wondered.

"Last time I checked, the Time Council was at the edge of the timeline, and this bucket of bolts can barely hold it together as it is." Mick reminded everyone that the Waverider was running on fumes to the Vanishing Point. 

It didn't tamper Rip's joyful mood as he took the whiskey bottle from Snart's hand. "Gideon, what's the status of the Time Drive?" He asked the AI.

 _"Stable, Captain."_ Gideoninformed _._

"Plot a course for the Vanishing Point. Tonight, Vandal Savage faces justice for his crimes." Rip declared taking his spot.

Despite the joy Rip was showing to them about finally bringing Savage to receive long overdue punishment , Bucky couldn't help but think about what Ray and Jax told them. If it was true that Savage had been manipulating time to his benefit, then why didn't the Time Master intervened when they found about it? There was more to it than it meets the eye.

-

Sara wasn't a genius intellectually, but she could tell that something was buggering Bucky based on a thoughtful look he had on his face in his quarter since they left the main deck.

"What's on your mind, Buck?" Sara questioned. "Thinking about going back home at last?"

He scoffed. Homecoming was the least on his mind. "Remember Sebastian Blood?" Bucky recalled, referring to the late Mayor/Slade's lackey that he met sometime ago in Star City after he returned. "The Alderman who ran for the Mayor's office two years ago?"

Sara nodded.  "Even though I didn't know him personally, Something told me in the back of my head that something was off with him, like a sixth sense." Bucky said.

"And your suspicions were correct when Laurel discovered out that he wrote a statement expressing his sympathy to Ollie and Thea about their mother's death, the day before she died." She remembered. "That was how we found out that he was Slade's pawn and a Charles Manson copycat. Why?"

Bucky took a deep breath and exhaled it out of his chest slowly. "I'm having the same feeling now."

Sara pursued her lips, contemplating his words briefly.

-

Time Drive went offline just moments ago due to the damage it sustained after Savage's robot attack so Rip sent Jax to to the engine room to repair the time drive while Bucky went to check on Savage on Rip's request to make sure that the immortal dictator didn't escape from the brigade. 

"Have you spoken to your mother recently?"  Savage spoke, getting Bucky's attention.

"How do you know that?" Bucky demanded of how he knew.

Savage simply shrugged standing in the middle of the cell."I've had 191 years of researching my enemies." he told Bucky the obvious answer.

Of course he did."I'm touched." Bucky said sarcastically.  "Then you must know that I'm not easily intimating "

Savage had an arrogant grin on his face. Bucky would love nothing more than to wipe it off. "I read all about you, Mr. Barnes. You and I have a lot more common than you think."

"You and I are nothing like." Bucky said.

"Oh but we are. We both lusted for a woman who was someone else's beloved. Me with Chay-ra and You with Laurel Lance." Savage pointed out the similarities between the two.

Bucky glowered hatefully at the immortal tyrant. "Don't say her name."

"It must've been quite difficult, I imagine." Savage continued, unfazed by the tone.  "Seeing Laurel with Mr. Queen. You must have had dreams of you sweeping Ms. Lance's feet and become her knight in shining armor as you americans would say and when your dreams had finally been realized, you must've felt elevated. But then as your relationship with your beloved was starting to flourish, the late Amanda Waller crushed it along with your soul. How have you been able to live with yourself, with the things that you have done in your lifetime? All the lives that you have taken, subdue, hurt and destroyed?"

Bucky scoffed shaking his head seeing through him. He was trying to attack him with words, making him to take the bait because that's what people like him do."You're not fooling me, you know that? Don't try to play the whole sympathy for the devil crap. I know what you are."

"What am I?" Savage inquired.

"You're the same people. Same kind of people that I've killed my whole life. A belly to ground, monstrous bastard." Bucky stated. "The only difference between them and you is the size of your ego." 

Savage tilted his head to side, chuckling in amusement. "I like you, Mr. Barnes. I can see why Gareeb had chosen you."

Not wanting to spend another minute with the immortal mad man, Bucky  headed to the exit door. "Give my regards to Laurel when you see her." Savage called to Bucky making him pause for a minute. 

Clenching his fists, Bucky did not want to give Savage the pleasure of letting him get to his head  so he simply walked through the door.

-

He should've seen it coming. He really should've. Jax repaired the time drive but he caught some temporal radiation from it as the drive time rebooted, forcing his body to age rapidly. He was confided to a chair in the Med Bay with Stein standing next to him, concerned for the other half for the firestorm Matrix. 

"Come on Buck. Don't be playa hatin'. I got the Time drive back on. " Jax said in an attempt to light the despondent mood. Bucky wasn't having none of it.

"Yeah. At the expense of you being a grumpy old man." Bucky pointed out the cost that Jax paid. Then he sighed, wanting to an immediate word with the Captain as he left the Med Bay marching toward the main bridge. Once he got there, he saw Mick and Snart leaving the Captain's office in a foul mood. 

"It's been a blast, Rip. Have fun getting to the Vanishing Point." Snart said, walking past Bucky with Mick.

"Tell your pals Chronos says 'Kiss my ass.'" Mick added as the criminal duo exited the main deck. Bucky was puzzled slightly before it dawned on him. It seemed that they had same  idea of confronting Rip about what happened to Jax and regarding Savage. They beat him to it.

"Et tú, James?" Rip guessed the reason why he was here.

Bucky shrugged, not bothering to deny it. "Yep. In the time I spent with, I've noticed some similarities between you and someone who I probably hate until my dying days."

"And I presume you're going to tell me." Rip assumed.

"Amanda Waller." Bucky told him, Rip inhaled sharply at the name. "Every decision you made was for the benefit of yours, not others. Just so that you could see your family again. Which forces me to make a decision: A. I could go with Butch and Sundance back to 2016 or B: stay here and head to the Vanishing Point and Serve Savage on a platter to the Time Masters."

"Have you decided which of the option you presented to me that are most favorable?" Rip queried.

He did, just by talking to him . "I've never been the one to leave the mission uncompleted." Bucky said. "I'm staying."

-

Snart and Mick stayed as well, much to their annoyance. Stein sent Jax back to 2016 via the Jumpship after having a chat with Savage, realizing that he could reverse the side effects by going back in time.

Rip had just finished making the last repairs to the computer table on the main bridge. " _Time Drive reinitialization complete, Captain. The Primary systems are back online and stable."_

Best news he's had all day. "Begin ignition sequence and resume our route to the Vanishing point." He commanded.

"You're a fool, Professor." Mick grumbled still pissed off about Stein's actions.

"I'm trying to save Jefferson's life." Stein defended his actions.

Then Ray literary stumbled into the main deck, breathing heavily. Bucky looked at him seeing that he looked like he was in a barroom fight. "Savage has escaped." Ray panted telling them of the escape.  

"What?!" Bucky  hissed, Ray gulped caving under the death stare he got from the former army ranger.

"I'm sorry." Ray apologized for letting his emotions get the best of him as he leaned on the one of the seat to catch his breath. 

Hurriedly, Rip slammed his hands on the table as he looked at the monitor. "Pull up the surveillances, now!" 

_"I'm afraid that Savage has already freed Carter Hall and is preparing to disengage..."_

 Gideon's voice garbled trailing off as the AI got shut down. "That can't be good." Sara muttered.

"Gideon's entire operational matrix is offline." Stein said. "And without her help...."

"We'll have to  make our approach the old fashioned way." Rip finished. 

"Shouldn't we be more worried about Savage and his brainwashed crony?" Mick reminded.

Rip hadn't forgotten about them. "Yes which is why I need you, Dr.Palmer and Mr. Barnes to go and recapture him." He then turned to both Stein and Sara. "In the meantime, if the rest of us can't figure out how to pilot the ship without Gideon, we're never gonna be able to leave the Time Stream."

"If we live through this, you bumbling idiot. I might just kill you." Mick threatened.

"Don't." Bucky said, Ray was a bit relieved that until Bucky added his two cents. "Lemme have at him before you end him." 

-

By the time they got there after getting their equipment, Bucky had only his sidearm which was enough, Mick with his heat gun and Ray in his Atom Suit, they saw Snart and Kendra taking cover behind a corner from Savage.

"Come to the party?" Snart snarked.

"Hope we're not too late." Bucky snarked back.

"You should've left me back in 2166!" Savage yelled from his hiding spot.

"Yeah, yeah we know that Mullethead!" Mick snapped

Savage came out of the corner and fired from his laser rifle."Who are you to stand up against me; Vandal Savage, destroyer of empires?!" Savage proclaimed boastfully.

"Leonard Snart, robber of ATMS!" Snart replied back as he stepped out of the wall returning the fire before returning to the wall as Savage retaliated. They heard a whooshing sound from behind, they all turned their heads to see Carter swing the mace around.  Ray held  one of his blasters up in defense. 

  
"It's two against five." Mick pointed out the disadvantage Savage had. Mick fired his heat gun at Savage who leaned back to avoid the  firestream.

"Come on!"  Savage gloated. In that moment they knew what they had to do. Bucky, Mick and Snart went for Savage while Kendra and Ray went after Carter. 

Bucky grabbed the rifle, using it to hit Savage on the nose, dazing him. He kicked Savage in the chest, sending him back against the wall.Bucky tossed the rifle away before swinging a haymaker to Savage's face.  Savage staggered backwards. He hit Savage a few more times in the chest with his fist before uppercutting Savage on the jaw bringing him down to the floor. 

Infuriated of how the situation was going downhill for him, Savage spit some blood out from his mouth as he got back up and blocked Bucky's attack before furiously hitting the pressure points on his body. He then used a stunned Bucky as a dummy, shielding himself from both Mick and Snart who both fired their guns when they tried to come to Bucky's aid. Bucky was blasted against the wall bouncing before hitting the floor. Savage went to hit Bucky's head with his knocking him out.

-

When Bucky woke up in his quarter some time later, he got the short recap from Sara of what happened after he got his behind handed to him. In his defense, Savage was immortal Carter finally got his memories back just when Savage was about to kill Kendra after Savage took out Ray, Mick and Snart. He saved her  from her inevitable death but he got stabbed in the stomach by Savage for his betrayal. In Sara's words Kendra  went to  laid the smackdown on the immortal dictator.  Meanwhile, with the help of both Sara and Stein as the navigators, Rip was able to make the Waverider leave the time stream arriving at the Vanishing point.

Carter was recovering in the med bay when Sara, Snart and Bucky was playing cards in the quarter Bucky picked up something in his ears as he stood up from the bed. He walked up to the door listening to it.

"What is it?" Sara asked seeing the frown on his face.

"We got some uninvited guests." Bucky told them, picking up some movement heading their way and it was not either from the team or Rip.

Thinking fast, Snart opened a hatch on the floor while muttering 'Alexa' under his breath, allowing them to hide under the floor to evade Time Master's patrol.

-

**AN: Don't forget comment, bookmark and kudos for more updates.**

 


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